Three years had passed since snow had last fallen in Georgia. But this year, it was back. It didn’t matter that it was an inconvenience for adults — the children loved it. Little Mary was no exception. She was thrilled! Grandma decided to add to the special treat, treating Mary and her siblings to some hot chocolate topped off with marshmallows. Everyone enjoyed it . . . until the unthinkable happened.
The Ill-Fated Treat
After the fun day, the children marched into the family room for inside games. Still excited about the marshmallows, Mary wandered back into the kitchen to search for the marshmallow jar. She found it sitting on the counter. Climbing up on a chair, she opened the plastic lid cap and stuck her fingers inside as far as they could reach. With a few marshmallows in her grasp, she attempted to pull her clenched fingers out of the jar. But they were stuck. She twisted and turned to free herself; but like quicksand, the harder she tried, the worse the problem became.
But everything would be okay, Mary thought. After all, Grandma was nearby in the family room with the other children. Mary showed Grandma the jar, and she pulled out the liquid soap, Vaseline, and everything else she could think of. Still, the little fingers did not budge. In fact, they began to swell.
Grandma was in panic mode, but tried to avoid frightening Mary. She decided at this point it would be best to call the paramedics. When they arrived, they, too, were helpless to free her fingers from the plastic lid cap. The only option was to cut the plastic cap, but the paramedics were afraid Mary would be cut by the jagged edges of the lid if they used scissors. Reluctant to take this chance, they unscrewed the cap from the jar and finally suggested taking her to the Emergency Room.
In the middle of the confusion, Mary kept herself occupied by reaching into the now-open jar with her left hand to nibble on the marshmallows that were still inside. When the ER doctor was finally able to see Mary, he managed to cut the lid cap open within a few minutes. Now Mary’s little fingers were free. She is fine, and this story has a wonderful ending!
Bottlenecks and a Breakthrough
Mary’s story is much like many Valentine’s Day stories that play out today. It is so easy to reach for a relationship thinking it will be okay, only to find ourselves stuck in a situation that is hard to escape.
Perhaps I’m speaking to you right now, and you are feeling stuck and trapped! Many would say, “Had I known then what I know now, it never would have happened.” Most of us feel that knowledge would have changed the dynamics of our actions. Can you imagine someone pursuing such a relationship despite knowing the disappointments to come? If you are like me, you probably wouldn’t think of knowingly entering such a relationship. And yet, despite knowing all of the challenges that would be encountered, Christ the Son of God freely engaged in a relationship with humanity — a relationship that cost Him His life on a cross in a forsaken place called Calvary!
One Fine Valentine
Without hesitation, He would do it again. We are told in the Word of God, “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:7-8 (NIV)
We may face disappointments during one time or another in our relationships. You may even experience such a time during this Valentine’s Day. Take heart in knowing there is one Valentine who will always love us, that’s our Lord! There is never a moment that he does not think about those dear to Him! That’s you and me!
Article by Dr. L.W. Edwards
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