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Friday, March 28, 2008

Stuck In A Rut....

Ryan and I have been trying hard to pay off debt and get ahead financially. We would like to have a child of our own but at the present time we don't have the means or the room. Ryan is working 3 jobs and I am working from home to try to get ahead yet it doesn't seem to be working. For instance, we bought a shed about 8 months ago and it is still in pieces in the back yard. Ryan hasn't had the time to put it together himself and frankly when he does have time he just doesn't feel like doing more work. The man works hard. He deserves a day off every once in a while so I don't complain. But, the disassembled shed means that the garage is still full of what can go into the shed and that means we can't begin to remodel it and make it into our much needed multi-purpose room. So I took matters into my own hands.

Last week my dad and my brother came over to put the shed up. Ryan was at Job #1 so he was unable to help. We had already put the foundation together and it was on our patio but needed to be moved a few yards away to where we wanted the shed to be. My brother and I were able to move it with lots of effort (my dad has a bad back) but then my brother decided to try and move it with his truck. That is when the trouble began.

He barely got it off of the patio before the truck got stuck.


We had no idea that could happen. The ground appeared to be completely dry yet when the weight came down on the soil the tires started spinning in muddy goo.

We tried putting boards under it.

We tried placing potted soil near and around the tires to absorb some of the moisture.

We brought in reinforcement. A stronger vehicle that in otherwise good conditions would have no problem pulling this little truck but not today. Today the rope that tied them together snapped. We had no choice but to do twice as much work to get it out.

We jacked it up to get to the source of the problem.

Then we dug out all of the mushy soil from around the tires. Then we were able to put the firm foundation underneath which would aid in it's rescue.

We also laid out tarps in front of it to make sure it didn't get stuck somewhere else.

We were left with this hole. It doesn't look like much to get stuck in does it? Yet, it took us about three hours to get the truck out, a whole lot of manpower, and we had to put off building the shed because the foundation would not have been sturdy on that loose soil. My efforts resulted in sweat and tears and a longer wait.

Psalm 40:2 (NLT)
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.
Such is life sometimes. We get anxious for something that God has promised to us and so we try and make it happen our way.

The truth is we could have a baby right now. We don't need all of that other stuff to happen first. But we think we do. So we try to make it happen and it continues to fail. We get stuck in a rut just spinning our wheels. We try different things to get out; we try filling the whole with other things that only camoflauge the mud and we even call on other stronger Christians to pull us out. But the truth is we must call on God to help us. Only after we invite Him to handle the situation does God come along and lift us up out of the situation and scoops out all of the dirt that has kept us captive. The He puts a secure foundation in its place and we roll right on through. He even makes provision for us.

He is good isn't He? What is the rut He is trying to help you out of?



I'd love for you to visit me at my personal blog: In Pursuit of Proverbs 31

In Pursuit of Proverbs 31

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10 Comments:

Blogger Denise said...

This was really good, thank you.

March 28, 2008 at 12:01 AM  
Blogger MarshaMarshaMarsha said...

Ah yes... the stuck in a rut, stuck in the mud, dirty and feeling defeated. I have been there, done that! And I'm not just talking about in my front yard either.

I am so thankful that we have a powerful God that can get us out of all the ruts that we seem to put ourselves in!

Oh and nothing like a little Sonshine to help dry up the muck and mud too. :-)

March 28, 2008 at 12:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This was a great post. I'm going to have to think about what rut I'm in...
As for having a baby when you have all of your ducks in a row...I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but there is never a perfect time to have a baby. There will always be something to get in the way of your dreams if you wait for the perfect situation. Sometimes, you have to just go for it and trust God to provide for the blessings He bestows. All three of our children were surprises. None of them were planned for. And I personally think it was for the best. I am a perfectionist, so waiting for the "perfect" time to have a baby would have never come for me!
Also, with regards to being in debt, have you heard of Financial Peace University? It revolutionized the way my husband and I thought about and worked with finances. You can check out the website: www.daveramsey.com. He also has a daily radio show you can stream online.
Don't let your present circumstances dictate what your future will be.

Blessings,
Jenni

March 28, 2008 at 1:38 AM  
Blogger Dr. Russell Norman Murray said...

Hi,

A good story and tie in with Scripture.

March 28, 2008 at 1:39 AM  
Blogger 2nd Cup of Coffee said...

First of all, your Ryan is a good man--working 3 jobs?! Secondly, this is a great illustration. There are tons of scripture containing the word "mud!"

March 28, 2008 at 10:23 AM  
Blogger Mocha with Linda said...

Great illustration and great reminder of our need to be on a firm Foundation!

March 28, 2008 at 10:49 AM  
Blogger windycindy said...

Hi, Right now, our family isn't in a rut per say, but trying to deal with different stages of life. I keep telling myself that this too shall pass.....Thanks,Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com

March 28, 2008 at 12:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yesterday Chris reminded us how important it is to W*A*I*T on God and today you showed us what happens when we continually DO NOT WAIT on God.
(That 'waiting' thing is a lot harder on us "type A" personalities isn't it Girlie?!)
I'll be praying for you AND your shed! ;)

peace!
Darnelle

March 28, 2008 at 12:06 PM  
Blogger lori said...

HA! I've done both...waited for GOD to lead...and Jumped in and done it myself...ending up looking like that truck of yours...IN A BIG OL' RUT...and sinking fast....

I'm learning to stand back and LET GOD GUIDE...HE knows far better than I, HE has NEVER been in a rut, screaming for help!!

and the shed...well you know...I've taken matters into my own hands too!! I completely understand...
good luck with that!!:)):):):)

as usual....you are spot on! lots to think about on a Friday night!!
love you!
lori

March 28, 2008 at 7:49 PM  
Blogger Julie said...

Great article, Amy...Loved the visual aides!!!

The ruts really are hard to break out of, aren't they.
Seems the more we try the harder we get stuck in them.

A dear missionary friend of mine used to say, "there is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still." I am glad that God's deeper than my ruts and that He rescues me out.

Have a blessed day!
Julie

March 29, 2008 at 10:03 AM  

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