“Help. Help. Help! Someone open the door!” I was trapped in my car, upside down.

I am driving on my way to work. I am incredibly late. Honestly, I know it won’t be a huge problem, but I continue to rush. I begin on my usual route, driving down the same road I typically drive down. The light turns red. But I must’ve missed it; I was now in the intersection. I suddenly see a car to my left, about to hit me. Panic strikes. The last time I panicked, I was at Hurricane Harbor at the top of a rollercoaster. Or maybe that time I had to give a presentation in class.

The car misses me. The feeling of sweet relief was interrupted by the sudden impact of a car on my right side. My car tips over, then completely flips. Here I was, suspended upside down in my car, wondering if I’d experience another second on earth.

I wonder if this is what the Israelites felt when coming up against the Red Sea. They can almost taste their freedom from slavery, but the Lord leads them to the sea. THE SEA. And now they’re being pursued by the enemy. Talk about a seemingly hopeless situation. They’re stuck, either caught up in the sea ahead of them or killed by the Egyptians from behind.

I imagine them saying,“Help. Help. Help! Someone open the door, we’re trapped!”

My perspective changes when a bystander runs to my car, opens the door and pulls me out. If I am being honest, I was in a season of hopelessness, feeling abandoned by God. I was attending every service possible and listening to sermons, just to taste His presence. I was unsure of my purpose, trying to sift through others’ expectations, and the word of God. Despite how disoriented and confused I was, the moment the car door opened, one thing became clear. God had not left me.

The Israelites were trapped, feeling frightened and abandoned. But the moment God split the sea in front of them, clearing a path for them to safety, their perspective certainly changed. They knew He had not left them. Regardless of how hopeless a situation appears, He has not left you. He hasn’t turned away or let you go. There is an open door, a split sea ahead of you. Believe and get ready to run through it.

-Written by a Community Member in New York