I’m a knife fanatic.

I have a collection of pocket knives. Too many honestly. While I only carry one at a time, I own more than a dozen.

Some of them are just a handle and blade, others are multi-tools with more options than a Chinese buffet.

I have one that I carry almost every day, Its a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Ranger model. Along with the knives, scissors, and saw, it has items added to it. Like green polymer scales, an eye glass screwdriver, straight pin, ink pen, and a fire steel. It has everything I need daily, and enough extras for me to pretend like I’m MacGyver.

I walked into the bathroom yesterday, the lid was up on the toilet and that knife, my favorite, it fell in. I watched it tumble, I couldn’t react fast enough to stop it, it made a splash and it went right to the bottom. Even though the toilet was in the unused condition (if you know what I mean), it was gross to think of what I had to do.

I had no choice, for one thing it’s a good knife, secondly, the toilet won’t work in the future with a knife in it. I had to grab it.

I cleaned the knife, and cleaned it, and cleaned it. Then I washed my hands, and washed them, and washed them.

The knife is fine, it’s clean and dry now, I’ll carry it tomorrow. But the whole accident instantly taught me something.

Certain things are worth reaching for, even if you have to reach through something disgusting.

Some people are in circumstances that no person should be in, but they are worth reaching for. Some people even put themselves in conditions that are inhuman, but they are worth reaching for. Some would say, you can’t end a sentience with a preposition, but even they are worth reaching for.

I love the fact that Jesus implied His church would be established next to the gates of Hell, and Hell would not defeat it. God can reach into our Hell on earth and pull us out.

Christians often say they want to be the hands of Jesus.

Those hands were often dirty, touched people whom society deemed unclean, and received the worst humanity could offer.

But they still reached out to people of every type, in every situation. Figuratively those hands are still reaching.

Don’t give up on anyone, no one is too far gone, too lost, too covered up in the mess.

Pray for them, encourage them, and when it’s appropriate, reach into Hell itself to offer a way out.

They are worth it.

-Tom Wise