Stuck Thinking 2

You're working your way up that wall climbing out of your rut and you've hit a spot that just seems impossible to get past. You've lost your momentum, and you just don't seem to be moving at all. You're frustrated. You're discouraged. You're tired. You're stuck. And while you're stuck, you're thinking, "I'm stuck."

You're only stuck if that's as far inward as that thought goes. So let's say it stops there where your progress seems to have stopped. The thought from that point can remain at being stuck, but it's not likely to for long. If you don't move your thoughts along and get on your way, eventually your mental focus starts to slip from ahead back into "rut mode". You were looking ahead and looking up, at the end of the climb or at the next hand-hold a few feet above, but now you find yourself staring only at that knot in the rope where your hands are now. You are aware of the fact that you aren't going anywhere. You are thinking of how rough it is to keep trying, having to push yourself forward, pull yourself up, keep going, no breaks, and how you are fighting against odds here. You aren't a super athlete, by the way, no spiritual Olympian, just you.

Beware! you are in danger of forming a new rut or falling back into the old one. The next thoughts to drive up as you are stuck there have momentum of their own and might be of a few varieties, the first being that you figure you might spin your wheels there for a while, just for a little break. After all, you've gotten here, you deserve a little slack, right? And that might be alright, as long as you don't let your motor die or turn it off yourself. You're idling, not parking, and do NOT shift into neutral!

Another thought that might occur is reversal and is likely to be fatal: "Why did I try to climb up here in the first place?" This thought can be weighty if you slide on board as it has many companions and moves quickly through smooth connections. For example: "What made me think I could do this?" leads to: "I should have known I couldn't succeed." leads to: "I just can't do it." and then: "I give up." These are all justified by: "I'm just not strong/smart/good... enough." And who can really expect that much of you?

God! God expects that much of you. But never without His help. Your main contribution to the climb is your trust in Him to get you to the top. And somewhere in your life, there is always an outlet for you to build a support system to hold you up when you're afraid something will knock you down. God has you secured, and He has put others out there for you to connect with, to join hands. If you trust God to provide the muscle to get it done and have the patience to let Him guide your progress, you will succeed.

Say a prayer. Remind yourself of the success you already have. Thank God for what you've achieved so far. Give Him praise for being the awesome God He is and for the amazing things He has done. Take the focus off of you and what you can do, and put it on what God can do. God loves you, and He'll get you safely where you need to go.