Sucking Mud Really Sucks

     Last October, I was privileged to be able to take my daughter deer hunting in the plains of eastern Colorado.  The little patch of ground we were hunting had a deep irrigation ditch to get across, and then a little stream to cross as well.  I knew about the water, and purchased some really good tall rubber boots.  Liz and I came to the ditch, and I ferried over our gear and guns safely.  I then returned to ferry over Liz by giving her a piggy back ride.  We got to the other side without incident, although it was a bit muddy at the edges because it was a cattle crossing area.  We hiked on and then came to the stream.  We crossed at one place and then began hunting.
     Eventually, we found ourselves about a half a mile from where we crossed, and I decided that it looked safe to cross where we were instead of backtracking.  So I stepped off the embankment, and promptly went up to the top of my boots in a vile, black, smelly mud!  I immediately fell backwards back onto the embankment, got Liz to take my backpack and rifle, and began pulling for all I was worth!
     I succeeded in freeing my right foot from my boot, then pulling the boot out.  However, no matter how hard I pulled, my left foot would not budge.  After about ten minutes of struggle, I got my left foot out of the boot.  I was thinking about how awful it would be to walk back the 1.5 miles to the car with only one boot...  Liz was trying not to laugh, but found the whole ordeal hilarious.  She kept bringing me bigger and bigger tree limbs to try to pry or dig out my boot, but I kept breaking them off in the sticky muck.  Finally, she brought a really big limb over, and I pried and dug and pried.  Finally, amidst the sucking noises, I noticed by boot was beginning to move.  After about twenty minutes, my boot finally came free, praise God!  Oh, the stink of that mud was indescribable, but I shall try.  Imagine rotting, wet vegetation.  Then imagine cow urine.  Then add in cow poo and mix together.  Oh, and I forgot: the smell of that plant near streams that smells like a skunk.  When I finally rolled over with my boot in hand and covered in black goo, I was able to laugh.  I have to admit, it was pretty funny when it was over.  During the ordeal, I did have a few moments of panic when I thought I might not be able to get myself unstuck, or at the least, I would loose my boot.
     As I was driving the long drive home, I thought about how powerful the suction of the mud was, and how difficult it was to extract myself from it, and remembered the first time I went into debt to buy something.  Signing that piece of paper looked so innocent and harmless, but when I stepped into that debt...  Now, years later, we are working  hard to extricate ourselves from the sticky, gooey, smelly muck of consumer debt.  We bought a boat, a car, and most recently, a travel trailer with cash.  We have vowed to never go into debt again  for retail purchases.
     Right now, we are fighting that sucking mud that really sucks hard, but I now have hope that someday, our feet will come out, we will roll over and look at one another, and laugh because we are free.  Thanks, God, for the lesson learned from that stinky mud!