By: Leah Gilbert
As Christians, we all have seasons in our life where we feel stuck.
-Maybe you are stuck in a job you don’t like. You keep praying God would open doors to a new career path, but it hasn’t happened yet.
-Maybe you feel stuck in a relationship. You have asked God to intervene, but your relationship isn’t what you would like it to be.
- Maybe you're stuck in addiction. You have tried to stop your unhealthy pattern of behavior. You do good for awhile, but then you turn back. You have cried out to God, asked for forgiveness, and you want to change, but you are stuck.
-Maybe you're stuck in a storm. You suffered a great loss and the darkness seems never ending. Or, you have major health issues and you want to serve God and others, but you don’t have the strength.
I am currently in a season where I feel stuck. Over the last four years, I have experienced great loss in my life. In 2018, I lost three people who meant a lot to me. Two died of cancer. I watched cancer destroy their body. One very special person took his own life. It shook me to my core.
When I was born, complications at birth caused damage to my brain. I have lived my life in a wheelchair, but it didn’t stop me from God's plan for my life. I became a teacher and have lived life to the fullest. I was very independent, lived on my own, traveled, and can drive. Life was amazing. Then, in 2020, I woke up and I had periods of blindness. I went to the eye doctor and ended up having brain surgery because my brain was swelling. After surgery, I coded. It has been a long road to recovery. I have lost some of my independence. I have come a long way and gained strength and endurance, but life is not the same. There are days where I struggle. I’m weak. My blood Pressure and heart rate are unstable. I get frustrated and angry sometimes. I question God. I have even sought comfort in the things of the world because the storm seems so strong and overwhelming.
What should we do when we find ourselves stuck in life? How do we free ourselves from the storms of life? Here is what I am learning to do when I am stuck and can’t find a way out.
Stay connected to the Body of Christ. It is so easy to disconnect when we are stuck. When we are sick, weak, tired, frustrated we tend to want to withdraw. But, it is in those moments that we need others the most. Other believers will walk beside us, intercede on our behalf, cheer us on, hold us accountable, love us, and help us. We will stay stuck without the help of others. When I want to stay at home or my emotions are controlling me, I send a text to my friend Candace. I tell her I am on my way to church, I allow her to help me on my weak days or when I am stuck at home. We talk and laugh in the middle of the storm. God creates bonds and strengthens relationships in every season if we stay connected. We are not meant to do life alone.
Keep dreaming of the future you hope for. It’s all about your mindset. If your thoughts are on the way things look in the moment, you will surely stay stuck. We live in a broken world. Things are going to be unfair. Our lives are going to be rocky at times, but as Christians, no matter how stuck we get, there is always hope. We won’t be stuck forever!! Jesus came to earth to save us from our sins and heal our land. God has a plan for us even in the strongest of storms. He will use it for his glory and purpose. He teaches us as we learn to lean on him and trust him in the storm. He will calm the storm and we will be freed from whatever we find ourselves stuck in.
Read God’s Word. We have to set our thoughts on the truth of his Word! We are set free! Things of this world are only temporary. God’s word provides instruction on how to live in the world. His Word reminds us of the sacrifice Jesus made for us so that we would be set free from the things that we get ourselves stuck in! His Word reassures us of his great love for us!
Pray- Communicate with God. Cry out to him. It may seem like he doesn’t hear us, but he hears every word. He longs to talk to us! It is important to remember that a part of communicating with God is listening. When we pray, we must also be still. We must listen to the Holy Spirit and invite him into our daily lives. The Holy Spirit provides comfort.