Stuck In A Rut

I was driving home the other day when I saw a fellow on a lawnmower stuck in a ditch. He wasn't in any danger - he was just stuck. Unable to go forwards or backwards. He made efforts on his own to build momentum and do it all on his own, but in the end all his efforts proved unsuccessful. It wasn't until his buddy with a pick up truck and a chain arrived that he was able to get his fancy zero turn mower with an oversized deck from being stuck. (I'm not jealous or anything. I love my 21" deck Craftsman push mower! Ha)

The truck pulled forward slowly - the chain tightened - and the guy slowly drove his once stuck lawn mower out of the ditch and was able to finish the yard he was working on.

In our lives we sometimes feel stuck. We're not in a 'bad place' - but we just can't really move forward or even backwards. We feel like there is no place for us to excel. No place to contribute. No place to create and be appreciated. We've been at the same job so long that it's the same thing every day. We've stayed at home with the kids for several years and now the thrill of watching them grow up has dissipated. After 7 years of marriage we just don't feel that 'spark' anymore.

Maybe all you need is a friend to come by and help pull you out of that rut. Bring their smile, encouraging words, and their hand and just reach out to you and (be it ever so slowly) help pull you out of the rut you're stuck in. Now - it's not all on them. That's why I wrote "help." We have to do some of the work, too. And when they're out they can continue on with the task that GOD has laid before them.

Now we can't control whether or not a friend will come and help us out of our rut. BUT - we can control helping our spouses, family, friends, and co-workers out of their ruts. So maybe we can make that our focus. And who knows - if you're helping someone out of their ditch - it may get you out of your own.