Upended and Neck Deep in Trouble by David Kitz

Have you ever been neck deep in trouble? I've been there and it's not an entirely pleasant experience. I recall hanging upside down in my car, which was sitting on its roof in a snow-covered ditch. My wife was suspended upside down in the driver's seat beside me.

Suddenly finding yourself upside down after a high-speed-icy skid can be unsettling. I recall unfastening my seatbelt so I could reverse my position and sit upright on the interior of the car roof. Opening the car doors was impossible due to the snow jammed up on the outside. There we sat, trapped, car tires in the air, as the sun began to set.

We had two life lines: a mobile phone and a direct line to Jesus. Both worked flawlessly. Within minutes a young couple stopped and helped us out of the car. Later that evening we drove our flipped car back into the city undamaged. There was nothing to indicate we were in a rollover, not even a scratch or dent on the car body.

This true account serves as a reminder to me that God hears us when we pray. When we are in over our head—when we are neck deep and beyond—we can call out to God.

God did not save us because we are faultless. As the psalmist says, "You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you" Psalm 69:5). God saves us because of His great mercy.

At this time of year I am reminded of another couple that had their lives upended. Mary and Joseph's world was turned upside down by an announcement by an angel. This unplanned pregnancy was not part of the script—not part of the plan for their lives as they originally intended. But God had something else in mind.

All too often our plans aren't God's plans. I can't imagine that Mary was too thrilled about giving birth to her firstborn in a stable. Though at first blush it may seem romantic, laying your baby in a manger has little appeal for the average first-time parents. We don't see millions trying to duplicate this experience.

But God's ways are higher than our ways. Let's keep that in mind next time our lives are upended by the unexpected. The Lord might just have a better plan.

Are you ready for it?







David Kitz is the author of The Soldier Who Killed a King. He and his wife Karen make their home in Ottawa. For further details on David's book and drama ministry visit: http://davidkitz.ca/