Ever have one of those days? I mean....one of those days when all is well with your world, your day is going well... and then....snap! Have you found yourself caught in something you thought you had overcome or mastered? Some of you may completely understand what I'm talking about. Well - I recently had one of those days.
I'm not a trapper. While l admit to being the outdoorsy type -- I love camping, hiking and all that stuff. But when it comes to wild animals and catching them...that is not on my list of favorite things to do. However, my brother was a trapper (and maybe he still is!) and I was exposed to "trapping" by way of his youthful hobby.
The early years of my childhood were spent on an 80 acre farm in rural upstate New York. My brothers & I were exposed to (and indulged in) all sorts of farm activities. We had pigs, chickens, ducks, cows, horses, sheep, goats and even a few hunting dogs. A book could be written about our family's move from the city to a farmhouse lacking indoor plumbing, and all of the animal-related antics that occurred during the 8 years we spent there. (thankfully indoor plumbing was installed & working several months after moving in)
Watching my brother trap during those farm years is where my knowledge of trapping comes in. You see, there are many kinds of traps. Experienced trappers use different types of traps during different seasons for different animals. There are even traps designed for the actual purpose of the animal being trapped. One trap may be used to capture and relocate an animal. Other traps put an animal out of its misery immediately, (warning....graphic here) breaking their back and killing them instantly. While others capture the animal by a body part, leaving the poor creature to suffer until the trapper arrives. Or even worse (& more graphic), until the trapped body part is chewed off by the animal, thereby saving its precious life.
Trappers not only need to use the right trap to catch their prey, but they also need to know just where to put them. My brother was really good at this. A swamp meandered through the farm fields behind our house -- my brother placed those traps in the water, ready to catch the unlucky muskrat who, while following his regular swimming pathway, triggers a trap...and ends up caught! So, a good trapper will know what trap to use and where to place it.
Life "traps" can be the same - each with their own intent and purpose in mind. Traps seem to be uniquely designed for people, situations and experiences differently. So - this is where I found myself - facing a trap. Call it what you want - a temptation, opportunity to screw up, or fall into an unhealthy pattern - a trap just the same.
I am a firm believer that Satan is real and he is just waiting to trip me up -- well, trap me. He is pleased when I get caught in one and gets more and more annoyed when I escape one or better yet - avoid it completely.
God calls me His precious child. That makes Satan my enemy. This enemy has been watching me (and some of you) for a long time and seems to know patterns well -- just like a trapper who knows what trap to use and where to place it in order to catch his prey.
Worse yet - these "traps" can be set up to just like animal traps - some meant to catch & relocate, some to kill their prey instantly (or kill a dream, relationship, _____ - you fill in the blank) and some catch partly - leaving us with the only option, cutting something off completely and leaving it behind.
Thankfully - with time and a whole lot of "listening", I get wiser and better at recognizing dangerous territory - those places where traps have been placed by my enemy. Sometimes I'm not all that smart. Like when something stressful occurs -- I may reach for something to comfort me (chips & salsa aren't necessarily bad - but eating the entire bag? come on!). For some of us it isn't chips & salsa but its pie, hamburgers, pizza, chocolate -- or any other substance. Just pick one. Others shop. Worse yet, some of us become angry and bitter - lashing out at those who don't realize they are not really the one with the problem. And sometimes I find myself caught knee-deep in a situation that is more complicated to get out of than it was to avoid altogether.
Traps - they are out there girls. I'll bet that some of you, just like me - know exactly what traps could best catch you. I'll bet we all have stories of all sorts of traps from our past. Some have caught & relocated us, some have been deadly (figuratively here), and some have required that we cut off part of us. Whew....at least we are alive to tell!
I've often felt as if my traps are unique - that surely no one I know could possibly be dodging the same dreadful traps placed along my life's path. Boy was I wrong. 1 Corinthians 10:13 clearly states that others share the same struggles I do. "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience" (NLT). The best news is what comes next, "all you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it" (The Message). The Amplified version states "He will always also provide the way out, the means of escape to a landing place" - this is great news!!
Not only do I have good company in my struggles, but God promises to be there for me, showing me a way out, a path that leads me away from the trap or temptation set before me. Better yet - its an escape! How this looks is different for all of us, yet to all of us -- it is the same promise. No one has been tempted by something that is not common to all - remember that the next time someone nearly has a heart attack when you share your struggle! Remember too that God is waiting on us to call out to Him in the midst of that struggle - when we find ourselves facing (or caught in) a trap - there is ALWAYS a way out - one offered to us by none other than God Himself. HE is the way out.
God sent Jesus Christ to this earth for our ultimate rescue, to rescue us from an eternity apart from God. Jesus also came to show us how to live day by day, not only in freedom from the guilt and shame of past traps, but also for the future - when we face the traps strategically placed in our paths. A way out is ready and waiting ..........
