The other day my sister and I were talking about the game Candy Land. On the game board that I had, there were two spaces where a player can get stuck (there are several versions of the game). If you should land on the gooey gumdrops space, you’re stuck there. If you land on the lollipop woods space, you get lost. When you land on either space you can’t move forward in the game until you draw a card with the designated color on it. Sometimes you get lucky and only miss a turn or two. Other times, you may be stuck there for quite a few turns. While you stay on the space, you watch your friends pass you by as they move toward the finish line. You may begin to feel disappointed, discouraged, and maybe even defeated as every card you choose and think will be the one to set you free ends up being the wrong color. You're stuck, and you're lost.
My sister and I also talked about how life can be like that too. There are times when we get stuck in a spot and watch others move forward while we are left behind. During those times, it’s difficult to move forward at all. Though you want to move, you can’t. You’re stuck. Though you search for a way out, you can't find one. You’re lost. And the more you scramble to find freedom and direction, the more disappointed in yourself you become. It’s a frustrating place to be. This reminded me of a story about a prophet in the Bible named Elijah.
In I Kings 19, we find the prophet Elijah running for his life. Queen Jezebel had vowed to kill him, so he took off and hid in the wilderness. He prayed for God to take his life, as he plopped himself down under a bush and fell asleep. He was disappointed and defeated. He was lost, and he was stuck. But God didn’t tell Elijah to pull himself together. Instead, God cared for him.
An angel was sent to Elijah. The angel told Elijah to wake up and eat. When Elijah woke up, he found that food and drink had been provided for him. He ate, drank, and went back to sleep. The angel came a second time. Elijah woke up again and ate and drank, but this time he became strengthened for a journey. Elijah traveled to Horeb, which is the mountain of God, and found a cave to sleep in for the night. God said to Elijah, “What are doing here?” Elijah told God that he was discouraged, defeated, afraid, and alone. God told Elijah to go and stand on the mountain, because the Lord would be passing by.
Here comes the part I love the most (vs 11-13). Elijah goes up and stands on the mountain. There’s this powerful wind that comes, but God wasn’t in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, but God wasn’t there either. Then there was fire, but God was not found in the fire. Do you know where God was? God was in a gentle whisper. God asked Elijah the same question again, “What are you doing here?” Elijah once again told God that he was discouraged, defeated, afraid, and alone. Then in that gentle whisper, God gave Elijah the directions he needed to move forward, which included finding a man, who would become his friend (and successor) and would stick by him no matter what would come their way, named Elisha. Elijah finally got the card he needed to move forward.
When I’m suck in the gooey gumdrops of hopelessness or lost in the lollipop forest of failure, I fully expect to draw cards of God’s anger toward me for being discouraged and defeated, for hiding instead of trusting, for isolating myself instead of choosing relationships. I expect the wind to blow me over, an earthquake to shake me, and fire to burn me as punishment for my faithlessness.
But one thing I learned from this story is that God isn’t angry that I’m stuck or lost, just as He wasn’t angry at Elijah. He sends nourishment to my soul, so I can be strong enough to make the journey. He doesn’t whack me over with the wind of discipline, shake me up with an earthquake of emendation, or punish me with the flames of fire. Instead, He speaks to me in a gentle whisper. He asks me, “Hey Kim, what are you doing here?” Then He gives me directions and sends me to a friend that will help me find my way through those lollipop woods and help pull me out of the gooey gumdrops. He gives me the card I need to move forward.
If you're lost, if you're stuck, don’t look to the wind, earthquakes, and fires that life brings for direction. His voice is in the gentle whisper. His will for you is good. You’re not alone. He will give you exactly what you need to find your way when you’re lost and to break free when you’re stuck. He’s not even mad at you. I promise. He understands our discouragement, our disappointment, and our struggles. Psalm 103 tells us that God is compassionate, full of love for us, and slow to anger. It says He knows how we are made. He understands.
If you’re lost, if you’re stuck, take care of yourself. Eat, drink some water, take a nap, then get up and take that journey to the mountain. Listen for that gentle voice and don't be afraid. It’s the voice of the One who is full of compassion, not condemnation. It’s the voice that gives direction instead of harsh discipline. It’s the voice that leads you to a friend who will stick with you. It’s the voice of the One who loves you. He will give you the card you need to move forward.
