Stuck

Stuck. 

How do I get unstuck and move forward into the next thing? 

I asked my 8 year old son his thoughts on this the other night. I mentioned I needed to sit down and do some writing and he asked, “Oh for that pretty and wise thing?” 

“Yes,” I said. “I’m supposed to write on stuck and transition. How to get unstuck and move forward into a new thing, the next thing, or whatever God wants to move you into… do you have any thoughts on that?” 

Honestly, I thought he would just shrug it off or, more likely, be a little confused because, to be perfectly transparent, I was a little confused. How do I write about this? How do we get unstuck anyway? I feel stuck right now and I’m not sure how to move forward here. Maybe I was just asking for amusement, because who asks an 8 year old for life advice? Apparently me...

“Sometimes, when you’re stuck, late at night, the Lord speaks like thunder. Ya know, mom?” 

Wait… what? 

“Has the Lord ever spoken to you like thunder, Jude?” 

“Yes.” 

“What did He say?” 

“You don’t remember, mom?” 

I racked my brain and couldn’t remember a time he described hearing God’s voice like thunder.  

“Refresh my memory, buddy boy.” 

“God said to me, ‘You’ll be with me forever.’”

Now I did remember. That was the night Judah gave his life to Jesus. We were sitting on my bed asking God to speak to Him and practicing listening to God’s voice together. I remember Judah said the Lord told him that he’d be with God forever and that he knew that meant he needed to give his life to Jesus. We had daddy come upstairs, we talked about salvation again, and Judah said he was ready this time. We prayed together. Judah shared his heart with Jesus and asked the Lord to save him from his sins and told Him he’d follow him forever. Jude was baptized that weekend. 

“I remember that, buddy! That’s when you gave your life to Jesus, right? I didn’t know the Lord sounded like thunder though.” 

“It was thunder alright, but a different kind of thunder than I’ve ever heard before and I KNEW it was Jesus speaking to me.” 

“And that’s when you got ‘unstuck’?” 

“Yep.” 

My eyes started to well up. My 8 year old gets it deep in his soul… something that I often forget or struggle to understand at all. 

Are you stuck tonight, sweet friend? Unsure how to move forward or get out of what you are in? 

Jesus is calling you out of that “stuck” place now. And the only way to get unstuck is to hear and obey the voice of the Lord, just like Judah who was intentionally listening for Jesus that night when the Lord spoke like thunder in his heart and he immediately obeyed. 

“You’ll be with me forever.” 

Jesus was calling him by his future - not his past and not his present. Jesus was calling out Judah’s destiny and inviting him into that reality. 

Push pause right here.

Are you getting what I’m saying? We can’t get unstuck without the voice of the Lord calling us out into HIS reality. 

How many men and women in the Bible have been given new names, new futures, new destinies? 

Gideon was the least of his family who was the least in their tribe who was the least of all the tribes of Israel. He was hiding from his enemies when God called him out of that place. How did God do that? “The Lord is with you, o Mighty Man of Valor” Gideon wasn’t a warrior! He wasn’t a champion! He was a nobody from a nobody family in a nobody tribe in Israel who were all under constant attack and oppression from other nations. God called him out of hiding from his enemies and oppressors and into conquering his enemies and a new freedom for his nation! He was called into his glorious destiny… God’s reality! 

Moses was hanging out with sheep after running away from his past sins when God called him out of the wilderness and sent him back home. God entrusted to this murderer and abandoner the salvation of his entire nation from the powerful Egyptians. God was calling him out of running and into his glorious destiny… God’s reality!

Saul was joyfully ordering and watching the killing of the followers of Jesus when God entered in! He called him out of the business of death and into the business of life. He even renamed Saul (which means “desired”) to Paul (which means “small/humble” and “released from sin” <--What?!? Let's dig into that another time). God called him out of sin and into his glorious destiny… God’s reality!

I could do this all day. There are names upon names upon names of people in scripture who were called out of whatever situation they were stuck in and into God’s reality through an encounter with Jesus. 

If you are stuck today, you need an encounter with Jesus. Take time, right now, don’t wait a minute longer, to actively listen for Jesus’ voice. You are guaranteed to hear the voice of the Lord if you open up your bible and read. Quit talking and just listen. 

He has heard your cries for help, sweet friend. He has caught every single one of those tears you’ve cried and bottled them up. He has laid beside you as you lay awake at night worrying. He has wrapped his arms around you while you felt utterly alone. He hasn’t missed one single moment of your “stuck-ness”. He’s been here through it all, but sweet friend, he is ready for you to move on. It’s time to quit crying out and start quieting down to hear the voice of the Lord calling you out. 

Take some time right now before you finish this article. Don’t short change yourself. Do the work and see the life-change. Push pause here and go listen to Jesus.

Are you back now? What did he say?

How can you obey right now? Do you need to make a phone call? Go do it! Do you need to be baptized? Call your pastor or a friend and get baptized! Do you need to (insert blank here)? DO IT! 

You want to get unstuck? It’s time to obey, sister. God is calling you out of where you’re at and into his glorious destiny for you… HIS reality! He isn’t calling you by your past. He’s calling you by your future. Remember: Gideon wasn’t a mighty man of valor until afterJesus declared that over him. What is the Lord declaring over you today? Now it’s time to walk in obedience.

As I tell my kids, “Listen and obey. Right away. All the way. Happy way.” 

I love you, sister. I’m in your corner cheering you on! Let me know how I can pray for you today and I will do that: prettyandwiseco@gmail.com.