“Guk!”

Abraham “guk” in his jammy shirt.

I love watching babies play. The wheels of their little minds are continually spinning, helping them to figure out one thing or another. They learn so quickly it’s almost scary. Their coordination and vocabulary growing as they do, especially when to ask for help. Whenever my nineteen-month-old grandson, Abraham, has difficulty with one of his toys, he hollers, “Guk“(stuck)! Then, we have to go help him get it UN-guk. And sometimes the poor little fella gets so frustrated that he just crumples and cries. I can’t say that I blame him.

I think we can all relate to poor little Abe’s frustrations at times. As Christians, we often get “guk.” We go through trials, we get in a rut, we seem to be attacked from every side. The problem we have though is, that even like Abe, we may crumple, but unlike him we often do not ask for help.

If we pay close enough attention, our trials and the attacks we come under really don’t prevent us from moving forward. They may seem like they do, don’t get me wrong. The problems come when we choose to focus on the problem and not the Solution. And there is definitely a solution! Jesus.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” ~Matthew 11:28 NLT

Jesus wants us to bring all of our issues to Him. Whenever we get guk, if we will just go to Jesus and pour out our hearts to Him, He will receive us with open arms and help us. Like we do with Abraham, by going to him and rescuing him and his toys, Jesus will come to us and rescue us. But we have to ask Him.

Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ~Matthew 7:7-8 NLT

Too often people get in a bind, things go downhill fast, and the next thing we see is that they are so discouraged that they are crying out to everyone else about how terrible their lives are. As long as things are going great, they praise God. Hit a bump in the road and the complaints roll off their tongues.

“Well, you just don’t understand what I’m going through,” you might say. No, I don’t… but Jesus DOES!

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. ~Hebrews 4:15 NLT

Jesus has been there. He has seen and done everything…for you and me. His shame, His abuse, His ridicule, His suffering, He did it all for you and me. Yes, He got called names. Yes, He was lied about. Yes, He took the blame for something He did not do. All the stuff we would ever do! So YES, He understands your situation. You don’t have to stay guk!

Little Abraham will learn to trust more and more as he grows. He already knows how to ask for help when he needs it, and whom to go to. We should follow his example and learn to trust Jesus more and more as we grow, too.

Shelley Wilburn

Shelley Wilburn has been writing since the age of twelve. She loves stories and adventures, and often finds herself getting into mischief with any one of her six grandchildren. She has written several articles and devotionals over the years for various newspapers, women's magazines, and newsletters. She has also co-authored devotionals. Shelley began writing full-time in 2012 after being healed of over 40 years of depression and anxiety. Using her love of writing, and wearing mismatched socks, Shelley has developed a unique ministry of encouraging others using biblical truths and stories from her own personal life. When not writing, you can find Shelley and her husband of over 30 years, D.A. zipping down the road in their newest adventure-maker, a bright orange, Mustang convertible Shelley has laughingly dubbed The Pony.