Written By: Jacob Galura | Southeast Regional Coordinator
Surfer: Sarah Stotz

I think most of us have gone through periods in our lives where we feel like we’re stuck or sinking. Sometimes on the outside and others internally. Both can be just as difficult to walk through and patiently wait for the Lord. 

I had a season like this; on the surface, everything looked like it was going great. I was growing closer to the Lord, stepping into more leadership, watching God move in really incredible ways all over the U.S., and getting deeply connected with more of the CS family around the world. Internally, though I was drowning, it felt like a bad hold down that wouldn’t end. 

Every time, I was about to get to the surface and catch a breath, I was sent right back to the bottom. I remember the painful realization of how bad it had gotten; surfing with friends was no longer fun. I felt like I didn’t belong anymore; I didn’t know which way was up. The enemy had me isolated and spiraling; I wasn’t leaving my room for days at a time unless I had to. I was slowly becoming a shell of myself. 

As I look back on that season now, I’m thankful, I was allowed to go through that to expose what I was missing in my life. I remember the breaking point was my car dying, no longer really able to go anywhere. I remember riding my bike to a new church that was meeting down the road and walking into where God was waiting to pull me out of that pit I found myself in. In that moment, I found joy. I found community. I found clarity and a renewed sense of purpose. 

I look at David praising the Lord in Psalm 40 and see myself. 

Psalm 40:2-3 

“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 my feet as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.”

God has done it before, and He will do it again. If you feel like you are sinking and have no way out, if you feel hopeless, don’t stop praying. 

Before David praises the Lord for pulling him out of his situation, he begins with “I waited patiently for the Lord to help me.” 

Sometimes we have to wait and trust that God will show up. The timing usually is not what we envision, but He always shows up for His children. David knew that the help he needed could only come from the Lord. 

I learned that lesson in my season in the pit; it didn’t matter how many mission trips I went on, how many incredible testimonies I heard, the only person who could rescue me was Jesus.