A Word of Wisdom When the Well is Dry

There are seasons in all of our lives that just seem dry and uninspired.  Times when we lose that level of excitement and creativity that looms large when we are centered and highly productive.  A pitcher calls it a slump, a writer calls it writer’s block, and a gambler calls it bad luck.  Any which way you turn it, the well is dry.  So what do we do to turn it around?  Where can we find fresh inspiration?

As a writer, I have been facing that block for about a week now.  For the past two months I was highly productive, completing two new websites and publishing numerous articles on a variety of subjects.  I created a media presentation for a fourth of July program, and contributed as a small group leader at my churches Vacation Bible School.  The pressure was off.  I finally had some time to breathe, so I sat down to write, and…nothing.

When the well is dry, these are dangerous times!  It is in times like these that it is easy to forget how blessed we are, and dwell on that which we don’t have or aren’t doing.  Don’t fall into that trap. Instead, receive this word of wisdom! If we let that kind of thinking take over, we will accelerate the downward spiral.  The quickest way out of that part of the funk is to remind ourselves of all that we do have, and all that we have accomplished thus far.  Some days are just better than others, and sometimes all we can do is put one foot in front of the other and see where it takes us. 

Here is another rather obvious word of wisdom.  Take a break!  Do something else for a while and get your mind on something completely different.  Just like it is boring to eat the same thing meal after meal, your mind gets bored doing the same exercises over and over.  Give it a rest by taking a walk, watching a good movie, or spending some time in quiet reflection.  The same difficult task may look quite different once you have let it go for a while.

Understand that life unfolds in cycles. It is a series of highs and lows, and as we move forward in life, the highs get higher, and we bounce back from the lows faster. Each time we have a “mountaintop experience” our desire to stay up there kicks in, and when we find ourselves in a valley again we can be too hard on ourselves. Whether you are on the top of the mountain, or in the lowest valley, a word of wisdom is never far from you. Every time we think we have arrived, we will find there is yet another mountain to climb. Some will take longer than others, some will be harder than others, but all can be conquered.

Biblical wisdom is evident throughout both the old and new testaments, and the bible is filled with accounts of ancient people going through the cycles of their lives. The Book of Proverbs, widely accepted as the authority on wisdom, has numerous repeating themes, and one of the most prevalent is that we never reach a state of total knowledge. There will always be more to learn, there is always another level of understanding to reach for.

I would like to leave you with one final word of wisdom that will serve you well in those moments when the well is dry. Spend some time with your Maker and seek His counsel. A daily time with God will help to smooth out the bumps in life and leave you better able to face whatever comes your way.

Spending time daily with God, and allowing Him to guide you to that fertile ground of your passion, can be one of the easiest and most rewarding things you will ever choose to do. Find the word of wisdom you need for today, and a whole lot more at the wisdomblog. Don't just sit there, join the conversation!