Escape From Your Alcatraz

My son-in-law has a very close friend who was severely injured in a hit and run bike/auto accident a couple of years ago.  He was left for dead by the careless driver, who drove off without even calling for help for the young man whose life was ebbing rapidly away in the middle of the pavement.  As the blood flowed under the mangled mess which used to be his bicycle, he was found by two other motorists, who immediately helped staunch the flow and called for help.  Josh was airlifted to the hospital, where he underwent surgery, which saved his life.  And all who know him are grateful, because he is a very rare and amazing person.  He is, in a word, unforgettable.

But he is forever changed as a result of this terrible accident.  His mind, sharp as ever, is locked inside a body that no longer works as it once did.  Now almost completely paralyzed, Josh is in a prison of someone else’s carelessness.

Not all prisons have bars.

We can be imprisoned by our fears or anxiety.  We can be imprisoned by emotional or physical abuse.  We can be imprisoned by our financial difficulties, unable to move and unable to remain static.  We can be imprisoned by our church, stuck in a routine that is no longer meaningful while our faith flounders.  We can be imprisoned by eating disorders, by family obligations, by sacrifices we may not even want to make.  The harshest imprisonment comes when we are living a lie that we cannot escape from, whether it be addiction, wrongdoing or something else that keeps our best selves hidden and unable to live our faith to our fullest.

We read in Hebrews 10: 22-25:

...let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Josh is the living embodiment of faith.  He and his family have trusted that whatever God’s plan is for Josh, his life is exactly what it should be.  His Navy Seal training has made him mentally and physically tough, and he is fighting his way back, farther than anyone but those who love him best believed he could achieve.  But those who didn’t know Josh reckoned without God.

Josh not only has a sincere heart, Josh has faith that God has a plan for him, and shares that faith willingly with everyone.  Josh, his family, and his friends, have held unswervingly to the hope they profess, and they have experienced God’s faithfulness in return.  Josh has many family members and friends who have uplifted him.  Josh is spurred on by every meeting together and by the love he receives, and everyone else is encouraged and inspired by the spirit and faithfulness they witness in him.  Even at the very worst, when he was lying in a hospital bed, unconscious, he was already inspiring the staff by the faithfulness of his family and friends and their confidence that God would make all things possible.

Josh has defied all predictions.  Doctors didn’t think he would ever come out of his coma.  He did.  Then they said he may be brain damaged and unable to communicate.  His mind is clear and he is able to communicate with those who see him regularly.  He was never supposed to walk.  He has now taken his first steps, with lots of assistance.  He continues an aggressive rehab program, and he is expecting great things.  His relationships are still rich and rewarding.  He is probably never going to have the life he expected to have, but it’s okay, because he is living his best life, the one God ordained for him.

Josh could have been imprisoned by the accident.  But his faith in God cannot be contained, no matter what earthly prison he may find himself in.  In Hebrews 12:1-2 we read:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Josh lives those words, each and every day.  His perseverance and faith set him free, no matter what happens to his body.  When my son-in-law asked Josh to express, in his own words, what this text means to him, he shared the following thoughts:

--“Great cloud of witnesses”- always remember those who walked along side of you and discipled you when you were young in your faith. Remember those who led the way. Call on them when you need them because you will.  Who were those witnesses referred to in Hebrews 12?  The answer is found in Hebrews 11 (you can read that on your own!) and include many familiar names and events from the Bible, from Creation to Moses to Rahab to the prophets, all of whom suffered for their faith.

--Always flee sin.  This is important.  We are not only to disregard it or ignore it, we must actively flee from it.  Sin is insidious and often seductive.  But even in the face of terrible trial, giving in to sin will only bring us to greater grief.  We must look to those who have come before us to see how to deal with temptation and wrong doing.

--(My personal favorite, because I have had to tell myself this many times in my life, as well) Run “your” race and not somebody else’s. This is not the race I would have chosen for myself but it is the race I have to run now. So I am keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus and trusting Him with the outcome. Just as Christ endured the cross, this is my cross to bear, and I do so gladly knowing Christ is walking with me.

--No matter what happens in life, always keep your eyes on Jesus and He will find a way through.  Continuing Hebrews 11, in verses 35-38 we read:

There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

And yet, no matter their circumstances, whether in a fiery furnace, facing a den of lions, imprisonment, torture, beheading, crucifixion, that passage ends with verses 39-40:

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Though his body is, in many ways, still a prison, Josh’s mind is fixed on God.  He has embraced the peace that passes all understanding to guard his heart and his life (Philippians 4:7) , and with the help of those who love him, to persevere.

Whatever imprisons you, let God’s peace unlock the door and remove the bars so that you may draw near to him with full faith and assurance.  Clear your conscience and reach for hope, because God will never fail you.  Be on your guard against those who would lead you astray.  Lean on those who uplift you in faith, and encourage each other at all times.  Set an example for those who do not know God, so that they cannot help but want what you have.  Hold fast to your faith, no matter what comes.   Don’t be anxious, even if you are hated for your faith, because those who endure, those who persevere, will spend eternity at the right hand of God.

Even if the race is not the one you chose, like Josh, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and trust him with the outcome.  Jesus bore our sins to the cross.  His sacrifice broke the chains and set us free.

Josh

Josh and my son-in-law, Collin, January 11, 2014

Josh, August 2018

Josh holding hands with my grandson  <3

Thank you, Josh, for allowing me to share your story, and for being such an important part of Collin and Erin's life.