BBD 11.03.03 Grasping
Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>
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The Burning Bush Devotional
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11.03.03
Grasping
Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and
whoever loses his life will preserve it. - Luke 17:32-33.
Remember what happened to Lot's wife! If you grasp and cling to life on your
terms, you'll lose it, but if you let that life go, you'll get life on God's
terms. - Luke 17:32-33 (The Message).
No one is exactly sure what happened except Edwin Galler and he's not
talking about it. It happened in the Bronx on a Metro-North train. Joe
Veniscofski, a train foreman said, "I have never, in my 16 years on the
railroad, seen anything like this. This is the first." It happened during
rush hour with a train filled with commuters, shut the train down for two
hours and cost thousands of dollars. It also must have been at least a
little embarrassing for Galler. The train foreman, Veniscofski, describes
the scene, "He had to stick his hand inside of that loose splash guard, into
the holding basin. And that's when it got caught." Apparently, Galler
dropped his cell phone into a toilet while he was in the train's restroom
and then tried to grab hold of it but got his hand stuck. The toilet was
stainless steel and had to be cut apart to free Galler's hand. Albert
Cecere, facilities director said, "We did not recover the phone. I don't
know if he did or not."
When Lot and his family were fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah they were warned not
to look back as God rained fire and brimstone on those evil cities. Lot and
his family had lived in that place for many years even though Lot "vexed"
his righteous soul by doing so. Apparently Lot and his wife enjoyed living
there so much so that Lot's wife looked back with longing toward their home
and turned into a "pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26)." Lot longed for his home
in the city just as much as his wife (Genesis 19:17-20) but he did not look
back and was able to survive. Lot's wife sought to save her worldly life at
the expense of what was spiritually best for herself and her family. As a
result, she lost her physical life and risked spiritual destruction.
What is it that you are grasping for in this life? What is it that you are
risking? Are you just risking some embarrassment or are you risking more -
physical and emotional pain for yourself and others? Perhaps you are risking
something even greater such as spiritual destruction?
I am sure if Edwin Galler had it to do over again he would have just let his
cell phone go down the drain. It would have been a little thing compared to
all the trouble that resulted from his trying to keep his grasp on the
phone. If he had just let go.. Maybe you just need to let go..
Copyright © 2003. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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