Facing "The Rut"

November and December are awesome months! I love the holiday season - the bright lights, the Christmas trees, (the desserts)...But with the season comes colder weather, more time spent indoors, and the endless effort of piling on extra clothes - hats, scarves, gloves, etc... And I really don't care what anyone else says - no one looks good in layers.

So as this season brings a lot of joy it can also bring the 'winter blues.' The leaves are pretty...but they are dying, the snow may glisten...but it's a pain to drive through and snow days are great...but now the kids are stuck at home, indoors, ALL day. (Or in my case, my husband!)

Despite the season, we all have found ourselves in a rut at one point in time or another. So, how can we fix this? What are steps we can take to either prevent or bring ourselves out of an emotional low? Well, the first thing is that you have to actually want to climb out of your emotional hole.

One of the hardest things to do when I am in a ‘rut’ is actually want to come out. I have days where I want to lay in bed, hide under my covers, and just stay there. I am very grateful that I have my kids who keep me on somewhat of a schedule because without them I would be a lot less productive.

Next, you pray...I know that sounds so cliche, but if you really believe that God listens and answers prayers why would He not answer yours? If your child came to you and said they were feeling like crap, would you scoff and brush it aside as if it were no big deal? God doesn't either. You also have to believe that God can fix it. Sometimes I think we pray without really believing God will answer. 

Even if your prayer is "God I feel like crap. I want to feel like crap and I want everyone around me to feel like crap too. This kind of sucks. Help me to want the desire to change my attitude." Reciting the Lord's prayer is great and all, but it's not the only way to pray. God doesn't care about formalities.  

The absolute best way I have found to pull myself out of a prolonged emotional depression is to be others centered. A lot of theories out there say that when you feel like a ‘mess,’ you need to take time for yourself and focus on your needs. But I find that when I am focused on other’s needs and am driven by the passion to help someone else, I bounce back faster and stronger than before.

Picture a cup being filled with God’s grace. In this grace is love, peace, and even joy. When we go to God, we are filled with His abundant love to our rim – we are full. God will keep filling us up if we pour out His grace onto others but when we stop overflowing God stops pouring in. We can be content for a while, but slowly that grace is going to evaporate away. In order to be filled, we must pour ourselves out. 

"Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, 

and one who waters will himself be watered." 

Proverbs 11:25