Quicksand

Let's think about quicksand for a moment. What does quicksand do? Well, if you ever watch tv or movies, you know quicksand causes a person to sink. The person is stuck and can't get out. And the more a person moves, trying to get out, the faster he/she sinks.

Now, if you are like me and watch MythBusters on the Discovery Channel, you may know that they did a segment on quicksand, and according to them, this quicksand "theory" isn't true. Basically, through experiments, the guys on Mythbusters busted this idea of quicksand. However, for a lesson that I needed to learn, and a lesson you may need to learn as well, we will just assume that what we see on tv and in the movies about quicksand is indeed real.

So, what made me start thinking about quicksand a couple of weeks ago? Well, a friend knows that I deal with emotional issues. And we were talking one night. And apparently she was dealing with issues as well. And we both were telling the other that we try to move forward, but don't seem to get anywhere. And she mentioned how it was like being in quicksand. And I totally agreed with her. We continued to chit-chat and when we were done, we finished our conversation and went on with our day. The next day, I started to think about quicksand and the following thoughts entered my mind. And I want to share them with you.

When a person gets stuck in quicksand, he/she can't move or get out...at least not on their own. The more one moves trying to get out, the more the person sinks and at a faster rate. The person cannot get out on his/her own - no matter how hard he/she tries. Someone else has to help the person in the quicksand get out. So, how does this relate to me...how does it relate to you?

I deal with mood swings and other issues that I have discussed in previous posts. For the past two years, I have been trying to move forward. But it seems that every time I move forward, something happens to "knock me back down." I end up going backwards instead. I don't go anywhere. And yes, when the thoughts of suicide enter my mind, and the urges to cut surface, I try to fight them, but it doesn't seem to help. I seem to sink deeper into my emotional trauma. Sometimes the emotions are just too much to bear. But as I thought about quicksand, I thought about me. What is the best way to deal with quicksand? One must be still. And one must depend on another to help him/her out. For those of us who deal with emotional issues, that other maybe medication, maybe therapy, maybe a friend to talk to and lean on. But for me, that other is my Heavenly Father. When I am dealing with all of my emotional junk, I can't fight it. I've tried, and I get nowhere. But lately, God is trying to tell me something...teach me something. I must be still. The more I fight, the harder I fight...the faster I sink. I don't get out of my situation. My situation instead gets worse. I can't get out on my own. Just like quicksand. I need someone to help me. And that Someone is God. And as I thought about quicksand that day and even now, I remember a verse in the Bible: Psalm 46:10a, "Be still, and know that I am God." WOW! I am to be still. I am to totally depend on God to help me. Eventually, I will be removed from my "quicksand." Will God remove me as quickly as I would like? Probably not, but He will remove me when the time is right. But I know that I can't deal with this without Him. I MUST depend on another...and that other (for me) needs to be my Heavenly Father.

I need to treat and deal with my emotional (and other) issues as though I am in quicksand. I need to be still and allow God to work and help me. Because if I don't, and I continue to "fight" my issues, I will only sink faster and will definitely not go anywhere. Is this easy to do? Well, no! Not at all. But then another verse comes to mind: Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." It's not easy, but it is doable.