“The man of whom we speak in this
analogy is representative of those who see themselves as quite bright, well
educated, emotionally stable, doing well in a chosen vocation or profession and
in general feel they have prospered according to their own genius. (Alma 30:17)
Our
Friend is challenged by an associate to run a thirty mile marathon which, if he
does successfully between sunrise and sunset, will receive many prestigious honors. However, this is no ordinary marathon for it
covers an area where there are many different types of terrain- some gently
rolling, some quite steep, (including a sizable mountain) plus an area dotted
by swamp-land. Although he is mindful
that it will be a tremendous challenge, our friend doesn’t know that it is
virtually impossible for any human being t successfully cover the distance
prescribed within a day – he has accepted the challenge on good faith that it
can be done. His situation is somewhat akin
to Adam and Eves predicament in the Garden of Eden where they were given the
dual commandments to multiply and replenish the earth and were forbidden to
partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil- two commandments which
simply could not be kept simultaneously.
Having
great confidence in his own ability plus enjoying a lot of spunk and
determination (two ingredients that are good in and of themselves and so necessary
to survive the challenges of mortality) he accepts the challenge and the
following morning is ready at the crack of dawn for his great adventure.
As the
sun slips up over the eastern horizon, the starting gun is fired and he is on
his way. His optimism is high, as he
runs swiftly over the gently rolling landscape – he’s convinced, in fact,
because of the miles he covers in the first hour, that it will be quite easy to
achieve his goal. However, the terrain
steepens and his pace slackens. As he
climbs higher on the mountain itself he is no longer running but struggles in a
slow, laborious way to negotiate the steep cliffs.
Eventually,
after great effort, he reaches the summit and commences his descent down into
the valley but he is deeply disturbed because it took him much longer to get to
the summit than he hoped it would. He
makes good time, however, going down the mountain, and again feels confident
that he can still reach his goal.
However, as he enters the valley he is troubled because he must now work
his way across a sizable area of swampland.
He glances toward the sky and is disappointed that the sun has crossed
well past the mid-point of its journey.
Now, more than ever, he must take great care to stay on solid ground and
not step into areas where there very well could be treacherous quicksand.
After
spending some time carefully crossing the swamp, he again checks the position
of the sun and is startled to realize he has only a few hours at most to reach
his goal. Having initially been very
careful crossing the swamp, he becomes a little careless, even reckless as he
hurries faster and faster. Almost before
he realizes what he has done, he finds himself walking on ground that appeared
safe but is now quivering under his feet – he frantically reverses his direction
to seek more stable footing but the ground gives way and he is caught in
quicksand.
Although
he realizes his predicament is quite serious and he is somewhat angry to have
used poor judgement in allowing himself to be trapped, because he has always
been a man of great confidence and self-assurance, he is totally convinced he
can remove himself from his predicament on the basis of his own power. He calmly attempts to move his feet forward
but to no avail. He then vigorously
attempts to thrash his legs but the faster and harder he tries to extricate
himself the quicker he sinks deeper into the quicksand. Sensing for the first time the awful seriousness
of his predicament, in a fit of total irrationality he reaches down into the
quicksand, takes hold of his boot straps and proceeds to pull and pull for all
hes worth! He then realizes how foolish
it is to try to free himself by pulling on his own bootstraps! His embarrassment is heightened as he
remembers his extensive academic training and his remarkable ability in times
past to be calm and controlled at all times.
Finally,
our friend admits that on the basis of his own ability he simply cannot free
himself. He knows he must have help
from some other source and the help must be found quickly. For the first time he becomes aware that just
inches ahead, a strong branch of a tree is within reach. (In our analogy the branch and tree represent
the combined wisdom and strength of mankind.) With tremendous effort our friend
inches forward and finally grasps the thick branch with both hands. Oh, what a relief it is to him, what an
assurance to have hold of something that seems so solid and so sure! After resting for a few moments, he begins to
pull himself up on the branch- it takes a great deal of effort, but the more he
successfully pulls his body onto the branch, the more confidence he has that
surely the branch will be the means of his salvation from the quicksand. In fact, even before he has managed to lift
himself out of the muck and mire of the quicksand there returns his familiar
feelings of independence and self- confidence, even a pride that is akin to
arrogance. Finally, with one great
lurch, he hears a terrifying crack and the limb snaps off, plunging him back
into the quicksand. Having expended so
much energy and effort, having placed so much confidence in what he was sure
was his sole source of redemption, our friend is intellectually, emotionally
and physically wiped out – he continues to struggle, but he now knows in a way
he has never known before that his predicament is totally and completely
hopeless. There is no way on the basis
of his own strength or the strength of the combined wisdom of men that he can
be freed from imminent death.
As he
sinks deeper into the quicksand the panorama of his entire life passes before
him. Things which had once seemed so
important now seem so puerile or childish.
His lifelong ambition to be acknowledged as unusually bright and the
most successful in his profession, to own the finest home and the most
expensive car – all of these ambitions fade into utter insignificance. He begins to realize that his relationships
with others, especially with his family, are of utmost and supreme importance. He is utterly desolated with the clear
realization that he has allowed his appetites to be abused and debauched by
relentless unethical advertising campaigns that artificially stimulate men’s appetites. He begins to sense the eternal verity of God
and Christ and the hereafter. He is very
uneasy about the prospect of death, for he is only now appreciating the
significance of life and oh, how he wants to live! The hills in the distance, the trees, the
sky, the sun – all things seem to take on a greater beauty and
significance. During what appear to be
the final moments of his life there arises from deep within his changed heart
an indescribable confidence that somehow there is a divine purpose in life;
that through the intervention of a higher supreme power he can find deliverance
from death.
The
sand has covered his shoulders and is gradually oozing up his neck. He is reaching, still reaching upward, hoping
against hope that somehow, something will happen. His face is turned upward that he might breathe
as long as possible, when much to his astonishment, there appear an arm and a
hand extending toward him – an arm and a hand actually within reach!
He
recognized immediately that the arm and the hand are powerful. Because of his predicament, our friend doesn’t
rationalize for a moment. He doesn’t intellectualize
how an arm and a hand can be hanging from mid-air! He simply realizes that if
there is any hope for redemption it will be in that hand and arm. He reaches upward and clasps the extended
hand. As soon as he does he feels a kind
of power like hes never felt before. He
feels a power coming into his hand and whole being that generates a confidence,
a trust, a faith, a perfect assurance that in this new power he can and will be
freed from his predicament. He hangs on
with all the strength and determination he can muster. He feels himself being lifted out of the mire
– oh, what a struggle! Having waited so
long to acknowledge his incapability’s, having waited because of a proud heart,
he now knows that the process and experience of becoming freed will not only
require a supernatural power, but it will require all the courage and strength
he can rally to hold on to the extended hand.
As he
struggles to hold on he feels his hand slipping, not because of a lack of power
in the other hand, but because of a lack of strength in his own. Try as hard as he can, he isint able to hold
on, his hand slips out, and he falls back into the quicksand. But (and this is a great message of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ), our friend quickly looks up to where the hand was and
the hand is still there! He quickly
takes hold again. The struggle again
ensues, and in time, using all the persistence, determination, strength and
faith he can muster, he is able to avail himself fully of the means of
redemption that is afforded him.
Ultimately, he is raised out of the quicksand that almost became his
tomb, and placed on solid rock.
He soon
realizes that he was not only delivered from the awful possibility of death but
he is a different person. He is clean
from the effects of the swamp water, mud and sand. As the full realization of his deliverance
and the tremendous change that has come over him sinks into his heart, he falls
upon his knees and with profound expression of gratitude he acknowledges that
it was a power greater than any and all other powers on earth that enabled him
to be delivered – oh, the expression of joy; the ecstasy that fills his being
as he contemplates the loving kindness and tender goodness of his God and his
Redeemer! The psalmist wrote, “He
brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of mire clay and set my feet
upon a rock, and established my goings.” (Psalms 40:2).
We are,
then, totally dependent upon the Lord to be reclaimed from our fallen condition. All the combined wisdom and learning of man
cannot change our nature and free us from our predicament. Rather than simply stressing self-sufficiency
in Christ. We need to reach with all the
energy we possess to make contact with the Lord, but it is his power that
changes our lives.”
I don’t
know where I am in this analogy. I think
I am stuck in the mud. I realize that I
have trusted my own merits/wisdom or even other people and their ‘testimony’ or ‘experiences’. I’ve sought the nice things, the big house, nice clothes, big tv etc. These things mean much less
to me now. I don’t know that I have
connected with God entirely yet, but I do know that I need to, and I have the desire
to. I hope Ill soon figure out how to
hear and listen to his still small voice.
For people who have figured it out, Ive read its like this “Ah ha” moment in which it
all clicks, and they realize how easy it is, or how it was always there. I still pray and sometimes feel there is a brick wall
between Him and me. I still at times have a hard
time not picturing Him on some throne on some planet far far away across space
and time, and that my one prayer is inaudible by the time it reaches Him, and
is one of billions, and He only has time to answer the ones from His most loved
ones. (And I assume I am not one of these...) In reality though, I know He is probably
closer than I think . Closer than I give
Him credit for. He is probably right
behind me, whispering to me, and my own unbelief or self-sufficient attitude,
or pride and arrogance is keeping me from hearing his voice, or at least acknowledging it as His voice and not my own good nature or ideas.
At least I know I can, and will figure it
out. I am finally learning how to break down the wall, and see past the illusion of a distant, unsympathetic Father. I know He is there and knows and
loves me. Maybe I first need to learn to know,
and love myself as He does. I will continue onward in Faith and look forward with hope for that perfect day, in which my belief may turn into a knowledge, and I can connect with him.