For the past few days, I felt like I was stuck in a loop. Doing the same things, facing the same challenges, and seemingly making very little progress.
There are so many things I want to accomplish, and feeling stuck is not exactly my favorite activity. I like seeing things move forward. Give me a little progress, a checked box, something! But lately, it felt like I was pressing the accelerator while the car was still in park.
And honestly, I was feeling a little down.
Then this morning, something changed. My circumstances hadn’t suddenly sorted themselves out. The things on my list were still patiently waiting for me. Very patiently, apparently.
But I felt a gentle nudge in my heart, something like, “Hey Dan, look beyond yourself and celebrate what I’ve been doing.”
That got my attention.
I realized I had been walking around looking down at my feet, so focused on where I wasn’t going that I was missing what God was doing all around me.
And there was quite a bit to see.
While I Was Feeling Stuck
Recently, I received a call at my work office from a woman looking for financial assistance. As we talked, she shared that she had survived human trafficking. She spoke about how God was restoring her life. Now she’s pursuing her master’s degree and writing a book.
She still has struggles. That was part of why she called. But through those struggles, she is holding on to God and moving forward.
What a testimony. After everything she had endured, she was sharing her faith and her hopes for the future.
God is at work!
At church, while serving on the media team and taking pictures, I watched around forty people, possibly more, become members of the congregation. There I was, camera in hand, witnessing people taking a meaningful step in their commitment to Christ and His church.
I was capturing the moment. This morning, I finally paused to celebrate what it meant.
God is at work!
Then there was a conversation with my son about his faith. He reassured me that his faith was solid. As a father, that gave me something precious to be thankful for. In the middle of everything else occupying my mind, here was a reason to stop and praise God.
God is at work!
I also came across a video of a young woman sharing the painful things she experienced after leaving her family’s religion and becoming a Christian. Her testimony brought me to tears. She spoke about God’s presence through her suffering, and now she was telling others about His grace, power, and mercy.
God is at work!
And on Sunday, our church team received a message asking us to pray for a young woman who had been missing since Friday. We began praying. A few hours later, we heard that she had been found safe.
What a relief. What a reason to give thanks.
God is at work!
As I remembered these moments, my heart softened. I had been carrying around this feeling that nothing was happening, yet I had seen and heard so much worth celebrating.
My own situation had taken up so much space in my thoughts that I had barely left room for anything else.
There’s Room for My Prayers and Your Praise Report
Have you ever been there?
You’re waiting for an answer, an opportunity, some direction, or just a little breathing room. Meanwhile, someone else has wonderful news.
You’re happy for them. You really are. But somewhere in the back of your mind, a little voice asks, “Lord… any updates on my situation?”
I understand that feeling.
God welcomes us to bring our needs to Him. We don’t have to pretend that waiting is easy or that disappointment doesn’t hurt. But I’m learning that I can bring Him my concerns and still make room to celebrate what He is doing in someone else’s life.
Romans 12:15 calls us to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. That means being present for one another, whether the moment calls for a celebration or a box of tissues.
Someone else’s blessing gives me an opportunity to love them well. I can thank God with them without having every question in my own life answered.
And when I do, something changes in me. My world gets a little bigger. My problems no longer fill the entire view. I remember that the God I’m praying to is caring for people in ways I might have overlooked.
Their story won’t necessarily become my story. God’s timing and answers may look different for each of us. But I can still rejoice in His mercy toward them and trust Him with what I’m carrying.
Joseph Had Reasons to Look Down
As I thought about this, Joseph came to mind.
He had been betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, and eventually imprisoned after being falsely accused. If anyone had reasons to be consumed by his own situation, Joseph certainly did.
Yet Genesis 40 records a small detail that stands out to me. When Joseph saw that two fellow prisoners were troubled, he asked them why they looked so sad.
He noticed.
He was living through his own painful circumstances, but he still paid attention to the people around him. He made room for their concerns.
And Genesis 39 tells us that the Lord was with Joseph in prison. God’s presence was real even before Joseph’s circumstances changed.
That encourages me. I can spend so much energy wondering when I’ll move forward that I forget there are people I can encourage right where I am.
I don’t have to have my whole life sorted out before I listen, pray, serve, or celebrate. There is something meaningful I can do today, even with a few unanswered questions still in my pocket.
Learning to Look Up
So how do I keep this from becoming one of those lovely morning revelations that disappears as soon as the day gets busy?
Because I know myself. I can have a beautiful moment of clarity and then lose it somewhere between my inbox and my to-do list.
I think it starts with a few simple habits.
Ask God to help me pay attention. Along with praying about what I need, I can ask, “Lord, help me notice Your goodness today. Show me who needs encouragement.” That gives me something to watch for beyond my own progress.
Take time to celebrate. When someone shares an answer to prayer, I can pause long enough to be glad with them. Ask a question. Listen to the story. Thank God together. Their good news deserves more than a quick acknowledgment while my mind runs back to my own concerns.
Write a few things down. A meaningful conversation. Someone finding strength to keep going. An act of kindness. An answered prayer. I forget things, especially when I’m discouraged. A few sentences in a journal can help me remember how much there is to be thankful for.
Be available. Sometimes noticing another person’s need gives me an opportunity to help. I may be able to listen, offer encouragement, or pray with them. My waiting season still has room for love and service.
These are small things, but they help me lift my head.
I’m Still Waiting, but I’m Also Rejoicing
Habakkuk 3:17–18 describes circumstances where so much had gone wrong, yet the prophet chose to rejoice in the Lord. His joy rested in God even while the hardship remained.
I need that reminder.
First Thessalonians 5:16–18 calls us to rejoice, pray, and give thanks in all circumstances. There is room for honest prayers and grateful hearts in the same difficult day.
I’m still praying for things to change. I still have dreams I want to pursue and questions I would love to have answered. I don’t know exactly when or how those answers will come.
But this morning, remembering what God was doing around me gave me fresh reasons to praise Him. It reminded me that I can trust Him with my unfinished story, too.
Maybe you’ve been feeling stuck lately. Maybe you’ve been staring at everything that hasn’t happened yet, wondering when you’ll have something to celebrate.
I understand. I’ve been doing a little too much studying of my own shoes.
Take a moment and look around. Think about the conversations you’ve had, the prayers you’ve heard answered, and the people whose faith has encouraged you. Is there something you can thank God for today? Someone whose joy you can share? Someone you can encourage while you wait?
You may find more happening around you than you realized.
I certainly did.
God is at work. And I don’t want to miss the joy of seeing it because I forgot to look up.