We've ALL Been Stuck

I've fallen!
And, I can't get up!

I have a friend who kiddingly (I hope) calls me Stuck -- an abbreviated form of stuckinindiana :) I've never really seen being here in Indiana as being sadly stuck but, God-ordained stuck -- in the place where He would use us. The LOML & I came up with that name about 20 years ago when circumstances* here in Indiana prevented us from moving back to the sunny east coast of south FLORIDA where we'd met! And, what caused us to be stuck...

     * we got jobs,
     * then we had a daughter,
     * then we bought our first house,
     * then the LOML got his undergraduate degree, 
     * then the LOML went back to school & earned an MBA,
     * then we had a son, 
     * then the LOML earned his CPA license, 
     * then I finished up schooling getting my undergraduate degree,
     * then we bought a bigger house,
     * then, then, then...


Yep, we got stuck here in Indiana as life happened. But, stuck wasn't really bad. We had a great church home & fantastic friends. We had housing & jobs. We could see my parents in Fort Wayne often. And, we made it a point to vacation at least once a year down in sunny Florida with the other family members! They made it a point to visit us too! 

We've had some wonderful times while being stuck in Indiana!!

This morning, my attention was caught by the title of a devotional written by Andy Stanley, Senior Pastor at North Point Community Church, Alpharetta, GA. It gave me a smile. I'm not the only one stuck??

Pastor Stanley wrote...

We Are All Stuck 

“So what do you do when you are stuck? 

The first thing I do when I am stuck is pray. But I’m not talking about a quick, Help me Lord, Sunday’s a comin’ prayer. When I get stuck I get up from my desk to head for my closet. Literally. I get on my knees and remind God that this was not my idea, it was His… 

Then I just stay in that quiet place until God quiets my heart.... 

Like you, I am simply a mouthpiece. Getting stuck is one way God keeps me ever conscious of that fact.”  

God's promise to bring HOPE for today:

"Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder." Romans 12:11-12

We all get stuck from time to time. However, that doesn't mean we aren't useful & making a positive difference in our world. Never let your situation diminish your estimation of what can be done in & through you during the stuck times! 

God has prepared wonderful times for each of us -- even when we feel stuck!