Traversing the Alligator Swamp: Principles in Moving Through Adversity

Once upon a time two young men were travelling to Memphis.  (This was way before Elvis’ time—in the early 1830s).  They travelled on an old military road that quickly passed through swampland.  Soon the two young men were walking in muddy water up to their knees. 

During the first 10 miles they slogged through the swamp they caught glimpses of alligators.  This was unnerving.  At least one of the companions thought it was.

“I can’t take it anymore!” he said, as they stopped to rest on a fallen log.  “I’m tired and wet and hungry.  The last few months I’ve been more hungery and cold then in my whole life.  I've been threatened by bears and wolves...and now this.  I’m going home!”

And he did, leaving our hero by himself--Wilford Woodruff by name--in the middle of an alligator swamp.  A sharp pain in his knee prevented the young man from continuing his journey.

Wet, dirty, cold, tired, hungry, alone, physically incapacitated ,with the threat of alligators lurking in the muddy water—this, I think, could be considered adverse circumstances.

So what did the young man do?  What would you do in this situation?  I would have gone home I think—but our hero did not…

“I knelt down in the mud and prayed,” he later reported, “and the Lord healed me, and I went on my way rejoicing….walking forty miles in a day through mud and water knee-deep.” (from the digitized book Leaves from my Journal--signed by the author!)

When the road of life takes us through the swampland of adversity we have two options—give up or continue on.  Our hero continued on—how?

Principles to get through the Alligator Swamp

(with problems posed in parentheses)

• Strength from Past Experiences (What if past experiences weren't strengthening?)
• Sense of Vision and Purpose in the Journey (Lost mine--now what)
• Seek Divine Aid with Faith (Got none--do I?)
• Seek Divine Aid through Prayer (I think I've been forwarded to voice mail...)
• Wallking Out (But I want to run!)
• Rejoicing as you Endure (Is that as 'pollyanna' as it sounds?)

So those are the general principles. We’ll examine each principle (and problems posed) in depth with subsequent posts. And we’ll see if our young hero lived “happily ever after”.