A Prayer for the One Who Feels Stuck

Dear Hope Mom,

I see you there, under the covers, the weight of your grief like a blanket so heavy you cannot muster the strength to remove even the slightest corner. I, too, remember laying there feeling as though my entire world was shattered forever, while the rest of the world continued spinning on its happy axis. I, too, remember feeling too burdened to take a shower, make a sandwich, or even pick up my phone to distract myself, because once again the phone reminded me of everyone else and their perfect, happy, sorrow-free life. I know the feeling, dear one. Do you feel like you remain in the same spot in your grief journey, at a loss for what move to make next? Do you feel stuck?

While we know, deep down, that God is working all things for His good and glory and continually making all things new, even in our pain-filled circumstances, it can be so very hard to make a move while in the pit of grief. We know God makes a way when there seems to be no way, yet He also calls us to partner with Him in this process. One way you can partner with Him, sweet sister, is by first acknowledging, as writer and speaker Jess Connolly states:

It is impossible to be stuck in the Kingdom of God.

What a life-giving and joy-renewing truth for us as Hope Moms. There are, in fact, several moves we can make, even while riding the engulfing waves of grief.

First, we can move forward in worship.

We see an example of this in David, a character of the Bible who was anointed King of Israel but also tormented by a jealous king who tried to kill him. Can I encourage you to flip to the book of Psalm? Psalm 63 is a good place to start, even if still while under the weight of that blanket. Here we find David continually praising God from the pit. He felt stuck in overwhelm, running for his life, yet found hope in praising his One True God.

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. (Psalm 63:1-3)

How do you typically connect most with God in worship? By reading His word? Listening to Christian radio? Sitting in nature in silence ready to listen and receive? Start there and see where it takes you.

Second, we can move forward in gratitude.

I know, friend. It can be easy to brush this one off as cliche, especially while in the pit of fresh grief. I am sure you have seen others online sharing their gratitude lists and thankfulness practice goals for the New Year yet let us not discount this deeply spiritual practice. During seasons of sorrow, gratitude is more important than ever. Frequently naming what we are grateful for, even while simultaneously mourning the loss of our babies, somehow energizes us to reframe the idea that our world has stopped forever, and that God has forgotten us. God has not forgotten about us, dear ones.

God cannot forget about us, as promised in His Word. Therefore, we are not stuck. What are you grateful for today? Breath in your lungs? The laugh of your living, breathing children? Hot coffee that touches your lips each morning? Friends that have shown up for you by way of childcare, meal deliveries, and creating space for your tears? Name them, one by one, day after day, and see what begins to shift in your head and heart.

Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:20)

But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. (1 Samuel 12:24)

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

Worship and gratitude.

Start there, beautiful Mama. How can you connect with God the Father in worship today? What tangible things can you lift to Him in gratitude? By doing both, day-after-day, even when your heart feels heavy with pain, will create space for your feelings to catch up with your actions. And one day, you will look up and realize your eyes opened and that blanket came off easily. Somehow, it didn’t feel quite so heavy, and you will offer up a smile to your Father in thanks and praise as you remember that despite how many tears have been shed in the months prior, it is impossible to be stuck in the Kingdom of God.

Brittnie lives in Sugar Land, Texas and enjoys writing on her blog and other outlets, baking, lingering coffee dates, and soaking in moments with her family. She is a wife to Brandon and a mom to Clara, Camille, and Hope Mom to Baby A (Clara’s twin) and Chance. Psalm 62:1-2 is her go to verse when she needs quick encouragement. She is author of Desert Song, and you can visit with Brittnie at her personal blog, A Joy Renewed, where she shares her faith and family, and encourages her readers to claim joy despite circumstance.

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