Something to Stand On by Luke Lang

Times when things were out of my control and I felt like I was a desperate, little spider monkey waving my arms and crying out for help. My Creator has always been there to rescue me. But usually he does it in ways I wouldn't have expected or chosen.
Sometimes when God rescues us, he does it in ways we don't understand. It might be a little uncomfortable. It might even temporarily hurt--like a "soul wedgie." My uncle, in his amazing lifesaving wisdom, knew that if he had tried to grab me from the front or by the arms, I would have pulled us both down. So he came at me from behind and grabbed my shorts. I didn't expect it. I didn't enjoy it. But it was what I needed, and it's what saved me.
When we're going down, God, who is good and mysterious, reaches out and rescues us. And sometimes it's not comfortable, but it's what we need. It's the hurt that brings healing.
Jeremiah 32:17 says, "Ah, sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." When we're in trouble, it's an impossible situation, and God stretches out his arm toward us. What a cool picture! God saves us, and sometimes, it feels a little like a soul wedgie--but it's okay because he is the lifesaver and knows how to save us.
So how do we react? Do we get upset or embarrassed or angry because we don't understand the way God rescues us? I'll tell you what I did in the near-drowning. I was forever grateful. Uncle Stan saved my life by giving me a wedgie.
That was a long time ago, and we've spent a lot of time together. Uncle Stan was there when my daughter was born--he was also there when my dad died. We've been through a lot of stuff. I respect him as a great man. I admire the way he has lived his life and treated his family.
Many things have happened since then, but I can't look at my uncle without thinking, This is the man who once saved my life. Because of what he did, I got to live; I got to meet my wife and daughter; I got to do life with a lot of beautiful people; I got to write this book. I'm forever grateful. The temporary pain of a wedgie is gone, but the gratitude remains.
It's the same with God. I rarely understand what he's doing in my life, but I can't ever help thinking, This is the God who saved my life. Because of what he did and what he does, I get to live. I'm forever grateful.
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Taken from "I AM Standing Up" by Luke Lang, copyright 2009 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission.