Getting Stuck

And Getting Unstuck

My main relaxation practice over the years has been scuba diving. A second interest (when water is not available) is hiking—enjoying the beauty of God’s landscape. Such trekking has taken me from Newfoundland’s east coast trails to the northern shores of Lake Superior to the stunning beauty of the Rocky Mountain vistas of Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper, and Golden. In the Southern Hemisphere I have also passed through the trails of Machu Picchu, the ancient Incan roads outside of Sucre and the canyons of Torotoro in the heartland of Bolivia. Even listing these journeys gives me pleasure! All of them express the wonders of God’s glory and majestic creativity.

However, in any rambling experience one can come across unexpected hurdles that force alternative routes. My first reaction in those moments is often frustration. Then I start to see that there is value in this experience of getting stuck. If we always took the straight path I wonder what we would miss. Similarly in our spiritual progression, the stuckness can be a stepping stone to something better. Mike Yaconelli writes:

Getting stuck is a great moment, a summons, a call from within, the glorious music of disaffection and dissatisfaction with our current place in life. We get stuck when we want to change, but can’t; when we want to stop destructive behaviour, but don’t; when the tug-o-war between God’s will and ours stands still and we can’t move…Getting stuck…halts the momentum of our lives; we have no choice but to notice what is around us—and we end up searching for Jesus. (Mike Yaconelli, Messy Spirituality)

When you find yourself up against a hurdle, remember that getting stuck is the first step in getting unstuck.