A couple of days ago, a friend posted a picture on Facebook of herself standing in a puddle with her colorful rain boots on. Because my brain works in connect-the-dots fashion, it immediately thought of a time, years ago, when my oldest daughter, then about ten, was in a pair of black wellies.

We were exploring a piece of property we’d just purchased, and on it was a sizeable pond. Both of our girls were stomping around in their “mud boots” because it had been a little wet, and because of assorted creepy-crawly critters that slithered about out there. When Maddie came up to the pond, she stepped onto what looked like a muddy shore line to get a better look at some creature. Immediately, she began to sink, and the thick, tar-like mud kept pulling her in, no matter how hard she tried to get out. It was getting inside her boots, too, so she couldn’t even get her feet out of them, and by this time, we were trying to keep our own footing to pull her to safety. We worked and worked to get her out, and when we all finally hit the hard ground, we were exhausted and a mess.

Honestly, it was a memory I hadn’t thought of in years.

Later, as I was driving, a song came on the radio, whose chorus goes like this:

Carry me, carry me, carry me now…from my sinking sand, to Your solid ground…

We might’ve had a rough time rescuing a sinking ten year old, but the truth of the matter is that sometimes our ground is so unstable that a team of eight draft horses couldn’t pull us out. No matter what earthly effort is offered, sometimes it’s just not enough. The ground starts shifting and gravity starts pulling and it becomes too much for mere man or beast. I’m thankful for Big Hands and Steady Feet. I’m thankful for unshakable, Solid Ground that never moves. And I’m thankful for the One who is always strong enough to pull me free and carry me to it.

I bet you are, too.

“He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.” Psalm 18:19 NIV

“The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.” Psalm 37:39 ESV

“On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.” Hymn ~ Edward Mote