“Satellites Not Found” my GPS rudely informed me as I pulled out of the parking garage in an unfamiliar part of the city. Anxiety swelled like a wave of worry ready to consume me. Tired and traveling alone, I wasn’t up for exploring in a strange place. Instead, I just wanted to get home preferably with the shortest route possible. My mind raced. Which direction should I go? How was I going to find my way? As I inched my care out of the garage, “turn left” broke my thoughts. My GPS came through! Now I could confidently navigate the way. Without it, I’d most definitely had gotten lost.
That simple situation I found myself in provides such a profound illustration. While I remained parked in the garage, my GPS couldn’t’ give me direction to continue on my journey. I needed to move, to set myself in motion first. Then and only then, when I was already moving could I find out what my next move needed to be to continue to my desired destination.
Life’s Parking Garages
When we get stuck in life, it’s easy to pull into a spiritual and emotional parking garage. There between the streets of overwhelmed and uncertainty, we curl up on the comfy couch of life, “parking” where it feels safe. Unfortunately, none of us are immune to feeling that way. We all seem to have our moments or seasons like that. Recently I’ve talked to several people who said they’ve been working to come out of a season of stuck. Maybe you are too?
When we park there, the road in front of us can feel more like a mountain than an exit from our stuck place. We want God to not just show up and give us direction, but we’d almost wish he’d show up as a Holy Ghost Uber driver and personally deliver us to our purpose or destination of our choice.
But, have you ever noticed that when we find ourselves tucked in a spiritual fetal position, God doesn’t typically push us into movement? Rather He seems far more likely to show up when we do. When we commit to taking a step, He’s faithful to guide it.
So what do you do when you find yourself overwhelmed or parked rather than pursuing your purpose? What do you do if you’ve been stuck in an emotional or spiritual parking garage minimizing your impact and effectiveness? Try these steps to get moving in the right direction once again.
5 steps can help you get back on track:
1. Decide you do not want to be stuck.
Are you ready to commit to moving forward? Tell a friend, mark your calendar, write it in your journal, or put a sticky note on your mirror. The first step is decide you’re done being where you are, because only once you decide you are finished being stuck, you can press “go” and begin your journey.
2. Pray.
God already knows right where you are so why not ask Him for help? Ask and it will be given to you (Luke 11:9 NIV) Where are you struggling? Be real with Him and listen for His whisper. He will answer.
3. Connect with friends and family.
Connect, really connect with friends or family. Go beyond the simple “hey you came to mind” on Facebook, but find time to connect in person with someone close to you, someone you can be real with. There’s power in genuine connection. It breaks the sense of isolation that “stuck” tries to burden us with.
4. Take your first step.
I’m willing to bet that you may already know what your next step is but you’ve been afraid to take it. Don’t let insecurity keep you parked when you could be making progress on your journey. Refuse to be deterred. If you don’t know what you need to do next, pray, listen, then follow through. Take your next step. You don’t have to have it all figured out to start.
5. Repeat.
Life is a journey. You need to continue to take one step after the next. “Stuck” will try to lure you back to “comfortable” where you just were. Instead repeat all of the steps until you are firmly on your journey leaving your “parking garage” behind.
Have a great week! Get out of your parking garage and enjoy the journey.
I’d love to hear from you! What do you do when you feel stuck? What has worked to help get you moving, or what from today’s blog do you think will help you the most?
Encouraged by today’s post, why not share and encourage your friends.
A few other posts you might enjoy:
- Stuck? In a Rut? Try These 6 Practical Tips
- 3 Traps that will Keep You Stuck
- The next thing you might need to do – Stop Waiting!
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