Stuck between Stairs
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” James 1: 5-8
Have you ever experienced the feeling of being stuck, whether it is reliving a past experience unable to let go of, in a toxic relationship that seems impossible to move on from, on a crossroad path, possibly leading toward a new journey in life, but unsure of its outcome, or just caught in between the steps of making life-altering decisions?
When my daughter was little, she had a way of saying the funniest phrases when she would find herself stuck in a pickle, in unique circumstances, without putting much effort into trying to be funny. I recall one particular day, I was in the kitchen, calling for my 7-year-old daughter, who was in the basement of our home, to come up to take a shower and get ready for gymnastics. While she was coming up the stairs, she had the bright idea of doing a split at mid-point of the staircase and since she wasn’t coming up fast enough, I called for her again. Holding a plate with a cupcake in one hand and a towel in the other hand, she yells out, “Sorry, Mom, I’m kinda stuck between stairs right now!” Looking down at her from the top of the stairs, I can see she was literally stuck between stairs, unable to move from the jam she got herself into.
Google search definition and synonyms of feeling stuck:
A feeling of being stuck is often caused by a combination of internal and external factors that lead to powerlessness, anxiety, and an inability to make progress. A person may feel trapped physically, emotionally, or psychologically when faced with difficult circumstances or internal conflicts.
Synonyms for "feeling stuck" include trapped, stalled, stagnant, paralyzed, and frustrated, depending on the specific nuance you want to convey. You can also use words like lost, discouraged, confused, or stymied to express the feeling of being unable to move forward or make progress.
Feeling stuck is an internal mind struggle caused by external circumstances preventing a person from making definitive decisions to allow for progress in life. Our heavenly Father already knew we would face difficult circumstances that would cause us to stumble, freeze, feel immobilized, paralyzed, confused, frustrated, and so forth, so He left us a manual book for living, the Bible - the Word and Bread of Life, as a resource to rely on for moments like these. He is a good Father, a loving Father that will not leave us as orphans, defending ourselves without any direction, guidance, or wisdom. He is mindful of us, who know we will face many trials that require us to make clear and decisive decisions to help us move forward in life. There are many biblical verses we can meditate on that speak into our momentary life situations to help us make wise and beneficial decisions.
For example:
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him".
"'Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert'".
"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand".
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand".
"The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You".
We may not always know what decisions to make, but we know who we can turn to in these moments of uncertainty, our Abba Father who gives wisdom, direction, insight and peace in making life-altering decisions. We do not need to give in to the feeling of being stuck in life or to fall into a pit of disbelief, but we can place our trust in the Lord and believe He is faithful and will provide a way of escape that we may endure when the situation seems impossible. The enemy wants to keep us trapped in doubt and disbelief, but God has set us free from the yoke of slavery!
Galatians 5:1 reminds us, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Let us pray: Father, we know that you are a good, loving Father, mindful of us and have our best interest at hand. Help us to turn to you when we face difficult situations and can trust you to help us find a way out when it all seems impossible. Our heart’s desire is to believe that you will make a way where there is no way and know what benefits us in the moment. Help our disbelief, in Jesus’ name, amen!
For Freedom Christ has set us Free!
