Stuck in the Bathtub

Raylee had begged for a dog for months, so for her 9th birthday, we broke down and got her a Shitz Tzu.  We have come to the conclusion that he must have been the runt of the litter, because he is only about 8 pounds and is extremely slow in the head.  Adorable, but not gifted.  It took us several months just to get him to recognize his name.  Even so, we quickly grew to love him and I  believe he loves us.  His favorite time of the day is nap time, when the babies are all asleep and he can rest without being pinched and pulled and dressed in doll clothes.  (Although he is extremely tolerant, even letting them drive him around in the shopping cart).

Harley doesn’t know any “doggie tricks”   He doesn’t sit, or lay down, or  speak.  He does however know lots of what we call “Harley tricks”.  He can run from the kitchen, leap onto the coffee table and land perfectly on the window sill to bark at the car pulling in the drive.  He can out-dodge 3 people at a doorway to escape the house.  He can climb the steps to Raylee’s bunk bed.

A few days ago, I was cleaning in the laundry room, and I hear howling. Not an anxious howl, just a pitiful sound .  I called him, and realized that he must be far away because his howl sounds far off.  I call again and again, quickly realizing he’s not even upstairs.  I started to panic a little.  His howling led me all the way to the basement, to the bathroom where we have a large Jacuzzi tub. Harley had climbed the steps to the tub and fallen in with the kids bath toys, the sides were too slippery for him to climb back out. He was STUCK.

So many times in my life I have felt stuck.  With the weather like it has been this winter, I have felt EXTREMELY stuck.  I know it’s hard to believe that someone that is as busy as I am can feel stuck, but there it is, that feeling of hopeless futility, like nothing is changing.  I like change.  My husband says I change things just to annoy him.  (And I have to admit sometimes I do!)  But there is just something thrilling about a new project or a fresh coat of paint.  Change indicates life, movement, growth!

So why do I feel so stuck? 

 I think it’s because I know that growth = change.  And the most natural response to change is fear of the unknown. And fear is paralyzing.

AND – When you combine this ‘resistance to change’ with ‘everyone in your life telling you how good you already have it’, you get COMPLACENT.  Ugh, that’s like a four letter word to me. Complacency is worse than being stuck.  It’s being OK with being stuck.

So – How do you become un-stuck?

The simple answer is faith.  The opposite of fear.

The good news is, God will work with you wherever you are, whether you are stuck or complacent.  But to become un-stuck, and a true instrument of God, you must have faith that he will lift you up and protect you.  By putting your trust in Him that created you and has a plan for you, life will take on changes, and growth will happen.  But you have to have faith in His plan.

And you  better believe His plan does not include being stuck.