Stuck!

This morning we talked about how it feels to be stuck.  I remembered a time when I was literally stuck with a deep feeling that there was no hope for me to get out!

At this time my family had moved to a small town in Riverside county. Pedley, California.  Yes, it was as little as it sounds!  We moved from Orange County to this little, tiny, nothing of a town!  I was not too happy about it!  I felt stuck in my surroundings! 

It was my sophomore year in high school and a friend asked if I wanted to go for a ride on one of her horses.  I was a little nervous, you see I had only been riding twice before and both times were in a group with a guide.  You know the type of riding, slow and poky with horses who knew the route and new when it was time to return back to the barn.  I decided to go and met her at her house. Soon I was on the big, grey horse and we were leisurely riding up in the hills of Pedley.  At first it was great!  We were able to laugh and look out into the valley that was waiting below us. 

With out warning my sweet horse, who I had just been talking to and telling, "you are such a good girl" laid down and then proceeded to roll right into a deep ditch!  I jumped off just in time not to get crushed but, I too landed in the ditch!  My friend stood at the top of this ditch which felt cavernous to me and said, "how did that happen? Did you kick her or something?"

At that moment, besides the deep feelings of anger I felt for my friend I felt stuck!

I was stuck with a horse that did not want to move!  In a few moments I was at the top of the ditch wondering how we were going to get this humongous horse out of the ditch!  We pulled, begged and cried but nothing helped.  The horse just looked at us like we were the ones with a problem. 

You see the horse didn't want to get out of the ditch.  It was cool in the dirt and there were some plants that she was munching on.  She didn't feel stuck even though she clearly was.  Have you been here?

When the horse was ready and only then we began to gently lead her out of the ditch. I walked the horse back to her barn and never rode again!

There was lots of stuckness going on in this story.
I felt stuck in my surroundings,
stuck in the ditch,
stuck in my ability to control a situation. 
The horse was stuck in her desire to be comfortable and in her stubbornness.

Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4

It is only when we realize that we do not have the ability in ourselves to get unstuck and turn to Jesus that we will find relief.

Today is the day to get unstuck!  Ask the only person who can help you to pull you out of that pit that you have been in!

Father,
I am stuck far too often to count.  Today I realize that I am stuck in a habit that has began to control me.  Pull me out of it's control and break the chain that has been attached to it.  I realize that the only hope I have of changing is by giving you the control. Thank you for offering to take this to empower me to be the woman you want me to be.
Jann