Blessings When You’re Stuck

Blessings When You’re Stuck

by Tina Yeager

 

“So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land”

(1 Kings 17:5-7, NIV).

 

A friend asked me to share my current writing focus. I hesitated, unsure how to respond when I had little to say. Fatigue, a minor illness, and headaches compounded the mire of distractions blocking the start of a new project. I seemed stuck.

Shame coiled in the corner of my mind and rattled its familiar threats. Experts’ declarations hissed from shadowy memories, defining writers as those who cannot resist the call to pen lines. Since I had typed few words this season, my paltry offering would seem to discredit me for the mission. Yet the Lord’s voice amplified scripture to overcome those lies with his truth.

While I confessed this position to my friend, I also rebuked the serpent attempting to steal my identity. I realized my temporary setback didn’t define who I was, nor did it determine my mission. For the best of God’s messengers spent time on the sidelines.

Noah built an ark under a cloudless sky for over a century while the world rejected his words. Abraham and Sarah spent many infertile years before bearing the fruit of God’s promise. Joseph endured slavery and imprisonment on the way to fulfilling his dream. Moses tended sheep in the desert for many seasons before delivering prophecies to those in Egypt. David’s songs languished in fields and caves between his calling and an opportunity to praise God from a throne. Elijah held an audience only with ravens and a starving widow before sharing the truth with the nation. The list of word-bearers who endured a “stuck” season extends throughout the ages of scripture and continues today.

Different situations hemmed each messenger into a holding pattern. But each hero chose to seek the Lord and receive blessings during their season on the sidelines. From this stalled period, the anointed person’s character and faith grew as they immersed themselves in the Spirit.

A variety of issues can stall our writing progress. Sometimes we must grapple with difficult circumstances or health problems. Spiritual warfare also strikes those called to share the truth. But rather than submitting to discouragement or shame, we can choose to seek the Lord. When we dwell in His presence, our “stuck” period delivers us unimaginable blessings. Our good Father prepares us for sharing his truth while we rest in his Spirit.

Father, thank you for blessing me during the times I am not able to write volumes. I praise you for your faithfulness during all seasons, those of preparation and those of productivity. Let me dwell with you every moment and rejoice for all the ways you bless me as a vessel. Amen.

 

Award-winning author, speaker, licensed counselor, and life coach, Tina encourages audiences to fulfill their potential. Her 10-week, ten-minutes-a-day Subdue Stress and Anxiety course features 15 expert presenters. She hosts the Flourish-Meant podcast. Check out Beautiful Warrior: Finding Victory Over the Lies Formed Against You and look for Upcycled: Crafted for a Purpose (Bold Vision, 2022). Connect with Tina at tinayeager.com.