The World is Your Oyster. That is, unless you're stuck.
Several years ago, a friend returned to the US after serving for over 40 years as a missionary in Brazil. (BTW, I have his permission to tell this story) Angus is very gifted. Smart. Artistic. Caring. Generous. But Angus was stuck - emotionally, vocationally, and well, physically. One of my first memories of Angus is gathering oysters from along the May River in Bluffton, SC. Our friends took us out on the boat, and we pulled up to a large sea of oysters along the shore. We could gather as much as we wanted. It was our for the taking.
We all had boots and gloves and carried buckets and hammers to collect the oysters. One of the main obstacles in our adventure was the pluff mud along the shore. It was more like quicksand than mud. To get to the oysters, we had to navigate through the mud. It wasn't long after we stepped ashore that Angus got stuck. He found an unusually soft area where his boots and Angus sank and sank. There was no way he could get free. He quickly lost sight of the oysters and went into survival mode. He tried to pull his feet out of the boots with lots of wasted energy, but he had no place to put his feet safely. The razor-sharp oyster shells just sliced up his feet. Did I mention Angus was stuck? His only way out was to accept the help of his friends. After several attempts on his own, he finally conceded. "Angus, give us your hand," we said. When he did, we pulled him to safety. Yes, the oysters were abundant, but he could not get them independently. The world of oyster harvesting is indeed a team venture.
How about you? Can you relate to Agnus? Can you see the prize, but you can't get there? Do you find yourself going at it alone? What, or shall I say, who is missing?
Next week I want to begin exploring three areas where we might find ourselves stuck and distracted from our pursuit of what really matters and offer some principles on how we can get free.
The bottom line is stuck happens most often when we are alone. Freedom and thriving are what we enjoy when we grasp the hands of trusted friends.
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