Divinely Stuck

Have you ever been in a place you couldn't get out? Not like an escape room, but like in a job or financial situation, or a house, a relationship. Any kind of weight on your shoulders that you come back to day after day and can't seem to shake. I could go on forever about stuck places. Admittedly, I'm constantly looking for the next thing in life, which makes it hard not to feel stuck in the present, but I don't think I've met anyone who hasn't felt this way before at least once.

These instances can feel hopeless and never-ending. I've felt stuck in lots of different ways and it's exhausting. It's like no matter what you do, you can't get out. For example: every time I get a raise, I also get a new bill to pay. It's hard to feel anything but frustration when life keeps hitting you like that, especially when it's so out of your control. And we've all heard that God does things in the waiting and the uncomfortable, that it will get better, et cetera, et cetera. And it's true, it will get better, we are growing in the uncomfortable and the waiting, and God has a plan for it, but knowing these things doesn't make feelings go away. So, as someone who is currently learning this lesson and walking through the wilderness, I'd like to share what makes it bearable. It won't be anything you want to hear if you're going through it too, but it is the truth and it does help.

Gratitude. Praise. Humility.

It can be really hard to be happy when you feel all the negative emotions. I feel emotions deeply, cripplingly sometimes, and I know it's not something you can just turn off. It's especially hard when no one seems to be sharing it with you. However, gratitude is an instant mood lifter. It forces you to find something you can be happy about, and it can really be as simple as being thankful for your morning coffee. Find one or two things to be grateful for, and it will shift your mindset from dwelling on the stuck things to the good things in life. Where our mind dwells, our heart will follow. And our heart is something we have to guard, since everything we do flows from it. Therefore, practice a good mindset, even when circumstances are not going your way, and your heart will be lighter even if you can't quite get to happy yet.

The second practice is praise. It's often the last thing I feel like doing; it can be like taking medicine. I know it's good for me, I know it will make me feel better, but I don't want to do it. I don't like praising God for His sovereignty, but it's also one of my favorite things to praise Him for, because thank God I don't order my own steps! Thank God I don't have to have it all figured out. I think the older we get, the less we feel like we have anything figured out, and that's ok because it helps us realize how dependent we are on God and not ourselves. The way it is supposed to be.

The last thing I want to touch on that helps pull me out of feeling stuck is humility. I mean this in the sense that C. S. Lewis said it, "humility is not thinking less of oneself, it is thinking of oneself less." I've found that by focusing more on serving others, my problems seem to go away. They may or may not be resolved, but my thoughts aren't consumed by problems. This isn't escapism, which I have tried too; it is having a heart for others. Giving what we have fulfills us, and by filling our hearts that way, our problems have less room to fill.

If you're feeling stuck, I hope this helps you feel less alone. God is always with you, even when you don't feel Him, and He loves you even when you feel distant.