In my own words, I wasn’t sure how to say how life feels at the moment until a friend of mine sent me a sermon from Sarah Jakes Roberts called “A tight spot”. That summed up life at the moment completely. I am definitely in a tight spot right now.
I learned so much from what she had to say though. She talked about when Paul and Silas were imprisoned for doing what God called them to do. She explained that when you are doing what God has called you to do, you will find yourself in some tight spots from time to time or more often than not.
She related it to being in a birth canal; a tight spot. Which in turn gave me the following perspective. When a child is first conceived the womb is big for its small mass at the time, but while it is being nourished in this womb it begins to grow and slowly but surely this womb becomes a “tight spot” for the unborn child. When the time has come for this child to be delivered into the world through the birthing canal, a lot takes place and this space becomes even tighter.
At the moment the baby is me, I am the baby and I am getting ready to be birthed into the world. I have been following the path God has laid for me, I have outgrown the places where I grew and now it is time for me to go out into the world to share all I have learned and to continue to grow.
Tight spots are uncomfortable, but the thing about them is they give you no choice but to move forward. Once you outgrow the tight spot you can no longer stay there. So, your only way out of it is to go through it. You have to go through what you want to get through and right now I am going through it, both literally and figuratively.
Sarah explained though that when you find yourself in these tight spots they have to make room for you when you begin to move through. The birthing canal is tight, but as the child begins to move the space begins to open, making way for the child. This process doesn’t work in the opposite direction though, only forward. If the child stays still or for some reason tries to go back, this will bring complications and the child will still have no choice except to come forth one way or another. The process, however, is smoother (not painless), but smoother when the process has been embraced.
This tight spot has been difficult to maneuver because at first, I wasn’t seeing it through the proper lens. I was wondering how I ended up here after doing everything God asked me to do. I was wondering how to get out of this place. I have been feeling the tension and the pull. I have felt somewhat suffocated by this place. I noticed I didn’t invite God to be in it with me because I was frustrated that He allowed me to be here. I noticed also that when I began to invite Him in this place began to make more room for me, the way before me began to open and I started to move forward being able to see the light.
If you are in a tight spot now I first want to encourage you to go watch this message “A Tight Spot” by Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts and then to follow her instruction because it has helped me see my situation differently. Sometimes all we need is the correct view so we can operate effectively.
No matter how it feels right now, continue to move forward. Invite God into this place with you and allow Him to make room for you. God is not concerned with our comfort as much as He is concerned with our growth. That is Him loving us into who He created us to be, we’ll be grateful for it later.
I am still fundraising for my mission trip (my tight spot). I could really use a miracle on this one, but in the meantime, if you feel led in your heart to donate anything towards my goal I would greatly appreciate it. I have $4,200 to reach within the next week to make it to my goal of $10k. Each dollar adds up, but if you are not financially capable of sowing into this work of God, your prayers have the ability to move mountains, so please send some to the Father for me! Thank you all in advance!
You can donate at the link above or through Cash App or Venmo
Cash App: $AlyciaMathis
Venmo: @Alycia-Mathis
I have $20 T-shirts available (pay through Cash App or Venmo, send size)
And Keys for the Journey which can be bought at www.keysforthejourney.com (select “Alycia Mathis” at check out)
