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I decided to take an alternate route from home to Starbucks in Kingman today, but the problem right now is our van doesn't have reverse.

I came to a rough, kind of deep wash that I didn't really think I could cross with our blue soccer mom van, but I couldn't reverse so I looked at the least shitty part of the wash (still not good), planned, and then went for it and made it. It was relatively rough though.

Thank God I made it.

Then I came across a spot where I could turn around and thought about it, but then I realized if I turned around, I'd go back across the rough wash. Never mind that!

I proceeded forward and about 200 feet later, go stuck in soft sand. For maybe the next hour, I found some pieces of wood, our dust pan, a bath towel, and long sleeve red shirt, and I dug loose sand, removing it from in front of the tires, pulling the van forward gradually, in multiple stages. I ask for God's help multiple times and felt a bit angry He wasn't just rescuing me.

I'd had an unction to bring a bottle of water with me as I was about to leave home, but I dismissed it thinking that I'd soon be at Starbucks and would be able to get water there. In the hot, windy, sandy spot the van was stuck, I realized I was getting thirsty. My mouth and throat were getting dry. After digging sand I was feeling light headed. I'm like, "Oh, that's why the Holy Spirit told me to bring a water bottle." That was a good idea!

A thought started bothering me. I remembered that deflated tires gripped better. Eventually I took God up on the idea and deflated the front tires. I hopped back in the van and tried to drive forward, but it wouldn't really go forward, actually it went forward a little, but I realized even though I didn't have reverse, I could get the van to rock back if I quickly shifted it out of gear. God had also told me third gear would work better than second gear.

I started "rocking" and trying to drive forward and after a few tries, with deflated tires and a towel and shirt under the front tires and the sand dug away, the van started to move and gripped the sand relatively well, and the section of sand road I thought I might or probably would get stuck in, I was able to drive right through it to the solid dirt part of the road and get the hell out of there.

Then God told me fill the tires which I didn't want to do in case there was more loose sand to drive through, and I almost let fear stop me, but then I relented and refilled the front tires, only then realizing how low the passenger front tire was, and that if I continued driving the tire wouldn't gotten damaged. Thank God I listened to God! He's really smart.

I continued driving our 2006 Toyota Sienna CE down the unfamiliar route and came across big sand at least a couple more times and I was like, "There's no way in hell I'm getting stuck again," and drove maybe too fast through those sand spots.

It felt bad to get stuck in sand, and kind of frustrating to not be able to reverse, because I'm pretty good at getting our van out of being stuck if I have reverse and Drive. I thought of how easy it would have been if I'd had that option, and how quickly I probably would have been able to drive out of there. Ugh. Driving a fraction of a mile an hour is zero fun.

Next time, I'll probably avoid taking this route. Unless I'm feeling super adventurous.

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Discussion

AnnSofiNovelist 5mo ago

Though I could have been of help... I'm glad I decided to stay home with water and the AC 😅

So happy to hear you got free and made it out of there!!!!!! I do like adventures, but I'm okay having missed this one 😅

Contra 5mo ago

‘Holy Spirit told me to bring water’ sounds more like Christian weather forecasting than Scripture. The Spirit doesn’t hand out life hacks. Bring water and use your brain. Stop spiritualizing every guess.

Also, calling parts of the road ‘sh###y’ isn’t how Christians are called to speak. This sloppy, casual attitude pairs perfectly with that bad theology-superstition dressed up as faith. The Spirit convicts and sanctifies, not to give roadside tips. Let’s get serious and stick to Scripture.

FikaTimeBooks.com 5mo ago

If you don't like how I relate to the Holy Spirit, and how he relates to me, that's your problem. We have an intimate relationship and he's one of my best friends. He's more than willing to hear out your complaints about our relationship, but I don't think you're going to like his response.

I think your response is fucking shitty as hell, and you can take that literally. I think your demons have too much access to your tongue. Clearly you have a lot to learn about the nature of Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, who are the most humble people that exist and love to serve, and lead through service.

Scripture is God's word, but scripture isn't God.

When you center yourself on scripture absent an intimate relationship with God, you will come out with shaming, judgmental takes like this one.

Clearly, you're quite religious and probably quite legalistic and obviously judgmental.

It's obvious based on your manipulative and error ridden, caustic response you don't understand how God wants to relate to people.

For the sake of other people who will read this, God is perfect, good, and unlimited. He wants intimacy and closeness with you, which he demonstrates repeatedly through scripture, from Adam to Revelations 21, from King David to Moses to Jesus Himself, who is one with the Father and abided in the Father's love.

Jesus died and rose again to bring you into intimate relationship with the Father, and wants to be one with you. Please don't believe Contra's lies.

Contra, you can continue to misunderstand and respond caustically, manipulatively, and controllingly if you want to, and if that's the case, I'll mute you. But if you want to dial back your attitude and seek first to understand then to be understood with some humility and kindness, we can continue to interact.

Otherwise, have a nice life.

Contra 5mo ago

Your version of “intimacy” with the Holy Spirit sounds more like emotional projection than biblical truth. The Holy Spirit is not your “best friend” on your terms. He is the Spirit of the holy God, who testifies to Christ, not your feelings.

Yes, Scripture isn’t God, but it is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16), and you don’t get to pit “relationship” against the Word. That’s how cults start.

True intimacy with God comes through His means, not your imagination. And His means are Word, sacrament, prayer, and obedience, not vibes, not feelings, and certainly not foul-mouthed rebukes in His name.

God is not your life coach. He’s your Creator, Lawgiver, Judge, and Redeemer.

Repent of your arrogance. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, and does not coddle it

FikaTimeBooks.com 5mo ago

The depth of your error with the Holy Spirt, and with scripture, is unfortunately great. God invented the spirit, soul, body, heart, mind, and will.

Of course my relationship with the Holy Spirit is emotional. His name is literally Comforter.

And in case you didn't know, here are the two greatest commandments according to Jesus.

1. Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind.

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Emotions are not all that comprises a relationship with God, but are certainly involved, as Jesus implies.

The Holy Spirit and I can have whatever relationship we want, and there's nothing you can do to stop it, including the harsh way you're writing to me. You might ask yourself why my personal relationship with the Holy Spirit bothers you so much that you're willing to publicly shit on it? Honestly, you're behaving very strangely and with extreme emotional and interpersonal insensitivity, and it's not good.

God is my life coach, my dad, my friend, my business partner, my mother, my therapist, and however He wants to interact with me, and the rest of humanity, and He's my almighty God, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. You can try to steal, kill, and destroy as you are now, and if you want to live that way, go for it. But I'm not interested in living by your damaging and harsh lies.

Arrogance? Lol. Another lie.

I hope you realize that the horrific and disrespectful and shaming way you're interacting with me is how you're interacting with your own heart, and that's not good, doesn't help people, and doesn't bring God glory.

And by extension is how you're interacting with everyone in relationship with you. You may want to re-evaluate your interpersonal style, regardless of me, in your own life, because I would predict people around you generally are either as harsh as you, or walk on eggshells.

Have a good life Contra. This will be my last response to you.

I sincerely hope you find intimacy with Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, as I have.