Faith | Feeling stuck? This mom knows who can set you free
I once read a children’s book where a little boy gets his kite stuck in a tree.
In an effort to unstick his kite, the boy decides to throw his shoe at the kite and his shoe gets stuck in the tree. He then throws his other shoe, but that becomes stuck as well.
The story goes on as the little boy throws one thing after the other into the tree, all in an effort to retrieve his kite. Each time he is unsuccessful at freeing the kite and instead he ends up with a tree full of very stuck things.
Much like this little boy’s kite, I have times in my life when I feel stuck. I imagine we all do.
We feel stuck in feelings of sadness, fear, loneliness, or hurt. We feel stuck in a body that doesn’t work properly. Maybe we feel trapped in difficult circumstances that are the result of someone else’s choice, our own choices, or the result of living in a very fallen world.
We throw everything we can at our frustration, discomfort and pain, only to find we feel temporary relief or no relief at all.
We just feel stuck.
In moments like these, I find hope in reflecting on the one person who is the exact opposite of stuck. Jesus Christ! Because of him, none of us are ever truly stuck!
We are not stuck in the finality of physical death, for he is risen (Mathew 28:6). Neither are we stuck in the eternal consequences of our mistakes, for he shall save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21). Jesus is movement through, above and beyond feelings of being trapped, no matter the reason.
Just like the woman with the issue of blood who for twelve years was trapped in her broken body, our faith in him can make us whole. This is true, even when we are not physically released from our difficult circumstances as this woman was (Luke 8:43-48).
Jesus’ greatest liberation comes from the way he can change our hearts and our minds, despite our challenges. He can help us reframe and see our situations, ourselves and others the way that he sees them. His way of seeing our difficulties can feel like opening the blinds in a dark room to let in the light.
How exactly does he do it? I don’t know all the ways he may help you or me find freedom from those things in our lives that leave us feeling trapped. But I don’t have to know how he does it, I just need to believe that he can.
I realize that feeling stuck is part of the human experience. It is in those moments that we learn what it means to lay our will at his feet and trust in him to show us what we are not seeing.
We can also trust that our waiting on him doesn’t mean he is not moving somewhere in our lives. His breeze is blowing even now. And it can and will at some point, loosen our kite from its entanglement and allow us to take flight once again.
Jesus is and always will be the exact opposite of stuck and that knowledge gives me a great deal of hope.
Guest Spiritual Life writer Kristin Andelin is a mother of four and a member of the Pasco North Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who works with the teen girls. Questions and comments should be directed to editor Lucy Luginbill in care of the Tri-City Herald newsroom, 4253 W. 24th Avenue, Kennewick, WA 99338. Or email lluginbill@tricityherald.com.
