Helping Hand

It’s Okay

  • by Colleen Swindoll Thompson
  • 10 Comments

    • Getting stuck is a bummer. Just for a moment, let’s list a few “stucks”:

    • Stuck in traffic
    • Stuck on a test
    • Stuck on a project
    • Stuck while trying to fix something
    • Stuck in the mud
    • Stuck in a dead-end career
    • Stuck in life

    Our minds can also get stuck in a rut of one-way thinking—the inability to think our way out of a difficult situation or being stuck in the mental fog of confusion and bewilderment.

    Sinkholes

    Crisis is like a gigantic sinkhole . . . suddenly, the earth gives way and our lives tumble into a “no-man’s-land,” and we feel stuck. We’re trapped, craving to get out of the hole, but the Lord doesn’t allow us to escape. It stinks to sink, but while you’re stuck in a hole, keep these in mind:

    1. It’s okay to be mad and angry.
    2. It’s okay to sleep when you are exhausted.
    3. It’s okay to not know the answer.
    4. It’s okay to feel lost.
    5. It’s okay to feel scared.
    6. It’s okay to cry.
    7. It’s okay to doubt your beliefs and convictions.
    8. It’s okay to lose or forget things.
    9. It’s okay to have huge emotional shifts.
    10. It’s okay to say, “Though I don’t like this now, I will choose to believe God is sitting by me, so I might as well talk with Him about it all.”

    Getting Unstuck

    Sinkholes don’t last forever. Although sinkholes shift and shake us and try to pull us under, they also force us to examine life. If you choose to examine life, to seek wisdom from spiritual directors and support from secure friends, and to hide Scripture deep in your heart, you will cultivate a deeper faith, unshakable convictions, more balance, greater hope, tender humility, and an abundance of grace.

    Ten different reactions to life’s “sinkholes” are listed above. There may be one or two or more that you really can connect with and are comforted in knowing, “I’m going to be okay as I work through this season.”

    I would love to connect with you in our comments section and talk over your experience as well as offer support for getting unstuck and moving forward.

    You can leave a comment by clicking here.

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