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Day 64, The Animal was Stopped Today.


I am sure as the Titanic sank into the Atlantic, someone was regretting the word, "unsinkable." Well today, my ego sank quickly as the Ford Explorer sat crippled for the first time in over a 1 foot 1/2 of snow. A tear trickled down my face, as I realized my baby was officially stuck.

The Background: For about 3 months it has been snowing in the Land of Germany. About every weekend we get our 4 to 6 inches without fail. The temperatures edge above 30 on a hot day, but most of the time hover around 23 all day long. So, the snow has piled up in just about every place imaginable. Up till this morning, I saw all these mounds of snow as potential conquest for my Explorer. With a magical push of a button, she would transform into a vicious beast that could tear through anything. I would almost stand outside my little apartment and taunt the gods if they couldn't dish out more snow for PT tomorrow. NOTHING COULD STOP THE 4x4!

I even admit that I would have dreams of my adventures where I would be rescuing people from their primitive front wheel drive cars, as I stood in triumph pulling them out. I would beat on my bare chest and YAWP! (Dead Poets Society, quote) YES...it was that bad.

But at 0621 Berlin Standard Time, this romanticized view of life ended in a series of spins and a frustrated turning off the engine in utter defeat. She is liberated now, but that 1/2 hour sitting was as shocking as watching Apollo Creed fall to the gigantic Russian. I was undone.

Bottomline: I am sure we all have things that we feel are indestructible. Something that makes us feel greater than we are. But isn't it amazing that anything like this is always subject to failure in light of some of just time. A simple discovery in life is to realize that everything you have, brand new today, will decay. Nothing will give a lasting sense of 'security'. There is only one thing in this world that is not subject to change,...Christ Jesus. Take a look around you to see what you place your 'ego' into: looks, fame, money, materials, education. How many of those things have a lasting shelf life?
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