Stuck. It’s a frustrating feeling.
The day after returning to Philadelphia from my daughter’s wedding in Cancun, I was caught in a blizzard.
My plan was to leave the office once the snow got heavy. When the snow began it was already too late. As I started driving, the thick snowfall was blinding. I was forced to stop in the middle of the road and use my arm to clear the windshield.
When I got back into the car, it couldn’t go forward. Back and forth the car rocked, digging itself into a deeper rut. Several other cars in both directions also couldn’t move.
When I saw a tow truck get stuck is when I decided I’d try walking the five miles home. I was able to back up and park the car. Temperatures were dropping and businesses along the road had closed early.
Within an hour of trudging through the snow, I accepted a ride home from a stranger in an SUV. And unlike in the movies, I didn’t die.
In life we all can get stuck. I’ve put together eight ways we stay stuck when we experience trials along with some positive thoughts.
1. Blaming God for our trials. Reasoning if God is sovereign and powerful, He should have prevented the loss. It is important to realize God is totally holy and isn’t the author of evil.
2. Thinking good Christians won’t experience emotional pain. The opposite is true as we learn in 1 Peter 4:12.
3. Not allowing enough time to grieve your losses. Grief takes longer than we expect. Experts say the loss of a child takes 6-10 years to grieve. Divorce can take a few years to mourn. So be patient with yourself.
4. Assuming crying means you lack faith or are weak. Jesus wept. John 11:35
5. Believing the lie that trials mean you lack faith. Hebrews 11:39 tells us: These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.
6. Not being involved in a local church. The Bible warns against forsaking getting together to worship. Hebrews 10:25
7. Not mourning each loss when multiple problems occur in a short period of time. Remember that each heartache needs to be mourned. Blessed are they who mourn. Matthew 5:4
8. Blaming ourselves and engaging in guilt. We look back wondering if we had done things differently we could have prevented the loss. Always remember: Jesus died for our guilt. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
***Feel free to comment below or email me if you would like me to expand one of these points in a future blog.
***Sign up with your e-mail on the home page to receive my weekly blogs.
#Grief #Christian #Counseling #HelpHopeandHealing #Author
Weathering the Storms of Life
8/15/2019 3:00:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Is There Purpose in Pain? (And Why it Matters)
4/27/2019 8:05:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Good Grief
4/11/2019 1:00:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
The Truth About Grief (And How God Uses It for Our Good)
4/4/2019 11:03:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Is It Ok for a Christian to be Depressed?
3/27/2019 3:10:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
The Truth about the Good Old Days
3/22/2019 10:13:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Do You Struggle with What God Allows?
3/13/2019 4:15:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Healing through Rest
3/5/2019 8:05:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Keep Walking
2/26/2019 8:15:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Embrace Your Season
2/23/2019 1:13:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
How to Have Peace in a Chaotic World
2/12/2019 9:06:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
There's Always Hope
2/5/2019 3:00:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Prayer the Solution to a Common Condition
1/29/2019 5:09:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
The Connection Between Health and Loss--My Personal Story
1/22/2019 12:00:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
How Not to Be Cranky
1/16/2019 11:30:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Does God Promise Healing?
1/8/2019 1:41:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
An Answer to a Desperate Prayer
1/1/2019 7:00:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Santa on Social Media?
12/26/2018 9:02:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren, M.A., LPC
5 Myths of Christmas
12/17/2018 3:05:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren, M.A., LPC and Patricia Durgin
7 Tips on Handling Family Drama (Proven Strategies)
12/12/2018 9:35:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
God's Promise to the Weary
12/4/2018 9:24:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Hope for the Frazzled Part Two
11/27/2018 3:30:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Hope for the Frazzled
11/20/2018 12:00:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
8 Pitfalls to Avoid being Stuck
11/14/2018 8:00:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Problems as Gifts
11/5/2018 10:55:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Breaking Free from Past Losses
10/30/2018 8:30:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren, M.A., LPC and Patricia Durgin
God's Bootcamp
10/23/2018 8:35:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Time Out
10/16/2018 8:50:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA, LPC
Freedom through Forgiveness
10/9/2018 8:06:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
What Not to Do When Dreams Turn to Nightmares
10/2/2018 8:35:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
God's Detours
9/25/2018 9:00:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
The Craziness of Grief
9/18/2018 11:00:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
My Personal Grief Journey--Part 2
9/11/2018 8:20:00 AM by: Abbigail Kalaf MS LPC BCPCC
My Personal Grief Journey--Part 1
9/4/2018 8:05:00 AM by: Abbigail Kalaf MS LPC BCPCC
Where is God in the Storm?
8/28/2018 10:30:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Getting to the Other Side of Grief
8/21/2018 9:25:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Billy Graham's Insights on Grieving
8/14/2018 9:00:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
When Doing Right Turns Out Wrong
8/7/2018 11:20:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
The Connection between Clutter and Grief
7/31/2018 8:34:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
A Simple Quiz on Grief
7/24/2018 8:30:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
The #1 Gift to Give to a Grieving Friend
6/26/2018 9:04:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
10 Things Not to Say to a Grieving Person
6/19/2018 9:00:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Do Christians Grieve Differently?
6/5/2018 8:25:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Press on Toward the Goal
5/22/2018 11:30:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
From Brokenness to Wholeness Podcast
5/8/2018 10:10:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
The Blessing of Walking by Faith
5/1/2018 1:20:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Grief Ten Years Later
1/20/2018 1:35:00 PM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
Welcome, My First Blog
1/19/2018 11:08:00 AM by: Dee Lundgren MA LPC
