A few months ago, I was flying high as I set new goals, made some progress and began to pursue my calling in life. I felt like nothing could stop me.

This week is another story; I am stuck! It is a bad stuck…making me say things like, “I don’t want to be a blogger. What if someone reads this? What if no one reads this? Who cares anyway…do my words make any difference?  Just forget (or another word) this dream! If I can’t write a blog post, how can I ever dream of speaking or inspiring anyone? I suck!” Can anyone relate?

I think Joseph, the guy with the colorful coat may have felt stuck, too.  Although he started out with a pep in his step as his father’s favorite child and dreaming of his brothers bowing down to him, he didn’t know how much he would have to go through before his dream of becoming a big-wig would become a reality.

As a young man, Joseph was thrown into a cistern, stripped of his prized robe, sold to some merchants by his own flesh and blood, forced to live in another culture, wrongfully accused of sexual misconduct, imprisoned and forgotten. He must have grieved like never before. Did he begin to question his dream?

We may know our calling like the back of our hand or it may be as vague as Obama-Care but when we begin to identify our calling and start to go for it, stuff starts to happen that can make us question why God is asking us to do the seemingly impossible. Write a blog? What?! Speak in front of live people?! No way! Lead people to understand their calling in life?! Let someone else with more experience do that! Come out from hiding and shine?!! You have got to be kidding, God!”

If we say yes to God and begin to live out our callings, we can often be misunderstood, attacked, tempted, scared, and/or immobilized but we can’t stay there. Joseph didn’t. No one saw Joseph arrive in Egypt and said, “He is supposed to be large and in charge. Make him the Pharoah and call it a day!” Instead, Joseph was faithful in his day-to-day life and with the Lord’s favor showed leadership in each and every situation. He won people over and moved toward his calling.

So what is your purpose or calling? What is God calling you to do? What are your dreams? Are you skipping along happily trusting they are going to happen? Are you seeing some fruit forming? Or are you stuck…ready to cry and give up hope that God can pull you through this and make you stronger?

Wherever you are at in your journey, I pray you never lose your connection with God or lose sight of your purpose, even if it takes years to come to fruition. Joseph ended up in a pretty good place so keep dreaming!