Runaway fridge

So today, Wayne (my intern) and I are working around the church building and we get a phone call from the church office. A student from Rochester College called and they need help because they can't get their dorm fridge in their car. Our understanding of that message is that she needs help getting the refrigerator in her car.

Being the servants we are (or maybe because we would have felt guilty not to help) we decide to walk the 1/4 mile or so to the storage place. When we arrive we find the real story. The fridge won't fit in her car and she needs to get it over to Rochester College, which is over 1/2mile away. So Wayne and I offer to walk the fridge over to the college on the 4-wheel cart.

(NOTE: At this point, if this story is about your fridge, please stop reading. Thanks, Susan.)

(ANOTHER NOTE: Please do not attempt what you are about to read at home. As a matter of fact, I would probably yell at the teens in my group if they did this when I was around.)

Anyway, being two youth minister types, and because it was over 90 degrees, we were not in our right minds. Most of the trip is downhill. (This is an important piece of information.) So Wayne decides to get on the back of the cart. He reaches over the fridge and grabs on to the bar at the front of the cart.

I thought it would be funny to let go of the cart and see what happens. Well, one does not need a degree in physics to figure that out. The cart begins accelerating down the hill. At first Wayne and I both are laughing and think this is funny. However, as the speed of the cart continued to increase, both of us became concerned. I think Wayne was more worried than me since he was the one on the cart.

Anyway, as the cart started to pull away from me, I decided to run with all I had. It took me a few seconds, but I got ahead of the cart, slowed it down, and saved Wayne from certain peril.

Like I said earlier, please don't try this at home. As a matter of fact, don't try this anywhere. (If you are a boy between 12 and 20, I am sure you will ignore my several warnings.)

Although this was probably a pretty fun sight to see, it's not so funny when the runaway cart is our life and the pull of gravity becomes the pull of sin.

I have watched many teens (and adults for that matter) jump on the runaway cart of sin thinking it will be a fun ride. Unfortunately for some of them, they don't realize the danger until it's too late. When they are laying on the side of the road in pain, they realize the ride wasn't worth it.

One big difference between crashing a cart and crashing from sin is that the wounds from a cart crash will usually heal. Injuries from sin will seldom heal completely. Scars that can't be seen will continue to hurt. Pains below the surface will continue to haunt. And sometimes we can even become callous to the pain and we continue to hurt ourselves.

It could start out as an innocent party that leads to drunk driving and an accident with life-changing consequences.

It might be shoplifting one small item that turns into a habit of shoplifting and eventual jail time.

It could be smoking one joint that leads to a drug addiction that destroys your family.

It might start out with an innocent make-out session that ends up with giving away a part of yourself that you'll never get back.

The options are endless. Exciting cart rides that Satan parades before us, hoping we will jump on. He hopes we see the fun ride, but not the crash.

Even though the scars may last for the rest of your life, Jesus is there to bring healing. The best option is to avoid these mistakes that often cause a life-time of regrets. But if you have already experienced one or more crashes in your life, Jesus is there to help. And if you are in the middle of an out-of-control ride, know that Jesus is there waiting to help you.

Life with Jesus is better than any ride Satan has to offer. It will still have risks, but the journey will be fulfilling and the end of the ride will be amazing.

shine!
Jason