Is there anything more helpless-feeling than being stuck in the snow? Press on the gas all you want, you’re still just spinning your wheels. Getting free requires a change in strategy.
Can’t the same be said for most of life’s ‘stuck’ moments? They call for a fresh approach. The insight and impulse delivered by prayer can provide the needed push.
It’s been one of THOSE winters. In the latest round of snow and biting cold, one neighbor and then another needed my help in freeing their cars from heaps of the white stuff. Alone and feeling stranded, each was relieved to see me walking down the alley. Together, we were able to maneuver over the deep potholes created by the solo efforts to get free.
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Like winter, life’s challenges can be intimidating. Health is the biggie, but there are also ruts brought on by aging, depression, addiction and more. It’s burdensome. Heck…it’s oppressive. Welcome to humanity!
It’s at these times I, like many people, go to God for support. “Come to me, all of you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest.” Jesus’ invitation comes after he shares that God has given him everything.
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Why God?
The human mind is a remarkable thing. On its own, though, it can get over-taxed and fearful when up against the hurdles of ill health and other concerns. Mindfulness approaches are sometimes employed to manage these conditions, but fall short of actually freeing the individual. “There is not sufficient spiritual power in the human thought to heal the sick or the sinful,” wrote Mary Baker Eddy in Fallibility of Human Concepts.
Going to God for me starts with praying or meditating. Prayer is like a sheltering, heartfelt embrace with a wise and loving father or mother. It’s listening to and acting upon those inspirations that come as you humbly let go of old ways of thinking and doing things. Prayer consistently provides me a renewed perspective on myself, the people in my life, and the happenings in my experience. It provided me the “aha!” recognition I needed in seeing how I could aid my neighbors.
Whenever we feel helpless or hopeless, prayer delivers 24 hour assistance that lays down the needed traction to get moving.
Steven Salt is a writer and blogger covering health, spirituality and thought. He is a Christian Science practitioner, curious about everything. You can follow him on Twitter @SaltSeasoned.