Center for Creative Ministry A research organization and research center for Seventh-day Adventist pastors and their congregations
Through the Red Sea
In a memorable scene from the movie, “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?”, three fugitives catch a ride from fellow criminal George “Baby Face” Nelson, who giddily shares his (expletive-laden) scheme to rob the Bank of Itta Bena.
Unfortunately for George, as he gleefully sacks the bank, one of the patrons whispers, “Is that ‘Babyface’ Nelson?” His countenance falls and he demands everyone acknowledge that “I’m George Nelson! Not ‘Baby Face’!”
Around the campfire later that evening, even though he’d successfully pulled off the heist, a subdued George dejectedly hands over his share of the loot to the other three and quietly treads off into the night.
One of the fugitives sums up George’s state of mind by explaining, “They say that with the thrill-seeking personality, what goes up, must come down. He’ll be back on top again. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of George Nelson.”
Sure enough, a rejuvenated George reappears later in chains, a mob dragging him down the street as he exclaims, “Well, these little men finally caught up with the criminal of the century! I’m George Nelson, and I’m feelin’ ten feet tall!”
This fictional story, from the fertile imaginations of Joel and Ethan Coen (with a major assist from Homer’s “Odyssey”) illustrates the very real experience of author Melissa Petro.
Petro realized her greatest dream: she wrote a book. Even better, after multiple submissions and rejections, a publisher accepted her manuscript. Then it was nominated for a PEN Award.
“I had spent my entire adult life nurturing a deep, enduring sense of love, loyalty, and commitment to a particular work. I poured time, energy, and care into the page, often without any promise of recognition or reward. It was an act of devotion—pure and sustaining.”
Then came the crash: “Here’s the clincher: There’s nothing more disappointing than publishing a book. I was ‘The dog who caught the car.’ I had achieved something I was desperately chasing but wasn’t prepared for what to do once I got it.” The final product was “a far cry from the brilliance I envisioned. The actual book is a complete Pinterest fail compared to the masterpiece that lived in my head, and no amount of editing would have changed that.”
The newly-freed Israelites must have felt like “the dog who caught the car” when, after experiencing the ecstasy of walking freely out of Egyptian bondage, they came up to the shores of the Red Sea. They didn’t know what to do.
They’d experienced God’s miraculous protection from the plagues, and watched, awestruck, when the Lord executed all the firstborn of Egypt, while they rested secure under the blood banner. Then, they “plundered the Egyptians” (Exodus 12:36) for their treasures of gold and silver as back pay for the several decades of slave labor Israel provided. God obviously favored the Israelites and led them to freedom.
At the first sign of trouble, however, they reverted to form and blamed Moses—“Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? Didn’t we say ‘Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians?’” (Exodus 14:10-12)
They’d finally achieved their long-awaited freedom, but now they didn’t know what to do with it.
They’d lived in dejected resignation for so long that Moses had to teach them from scratch how to enjoy their new-found liberty and live in faith: “Don’t be afraid; Stand firm; See God’s deliverance; God will fight for you.” (Exodus 14:13-14)
After experiencing such a euphoric high, only to face crushing disappointment, they needed to learn how to simply trust God and move forward.
What goes up, must come down, but there is still a good existence to enjoy between life’s wild situational swings.
Melissa Petro shares this life lesson from negotiating her own highs and lows: “I can find joy—and everything else—in my daily life, and that can be enough.”
As God’s children, we can learn to say with Paul in Philippians 4:11-13: “I’ve lived through life’s ups and downs, and I can be content, no matter my circumstances.”
For Reflection
Connecting: Have you ever achieved a long-standing goal, only to be disappointed in the end? Were you able to reconcile the thrill of realizing the dream with the eventual reality of the situation?
Sharing: Moses must have sympathized a bit with the grumbling mob in Exodus 14:10-12 when he saw their impossible situation. How did he resist giving in to despair?
- Moses was more afraid of God than Pharaoh, and therefore did as he was told
- Since Moses had a much deeper relationship with God than the mob did, he didn’t falter at all in his faith
- Even though the crowd couldn’t see it, Moses saw God’s deliverance in advance
- God may have sensed Moses wavering, and therefore chastised him “Why are you crying out to me? Get on with it!” (Exodus 14:15)
- Moses’ true attitude was “Wow, God—this looks impossible. I can’t wait to see what mighty miracle you’re about to perform!”
- Other:
Applying: How can we better prepare new members to be “the dog who caught the car”? How do we properly let them know that “you’ve experienced the emotional high of accepting Jesus and baptism, now get ready for the possible let-down that comes with moving on with daily life”?
Valuing: Can you truly say of your own experience, “I’ve lived through life’s ups and downs, and I can be content, no matter my circumstances”? How can you maintain an even attitude in all situations?
~ Chuck Burkeen
