Grounded

It just wouldn’t start. No matter what I did, it wouldn’t turn over. I was at my farm, working on my John Deere Gator and I’d tried everything I knew to get it running. I replaced the battery. I replaced the solenoid. I replaced the starter…twice. 

I even replaced the ignition switch. Still, every time I turned the key? Nothing. Hmmm. I figured maybe power wasn’t getting to the starter for some reason, possibly a corroded power wire. But when I checked the voltage at the battery, I got 12 volts. Perfect. Then I checked the power to the starter. Also 12 volts. I was getting power to the starter, but no starting. I’d run out of options.

So I prayed.

Seriously. It was something like, “God please help me fix this thing. I have no idea what to do next. Show me what to do.” 

A few minutes later, I was reminded of a problem I had on my trailer. I had bought an old 12 ft. trailer a few months earlier, but the taillights didn’t work when you hooked it up. So I replaced the lights and re-did all the wiring, just to be sure.

But when I hooked the trailer up to my truck, still no taillights. I was baffled. I checked to make sure I was getting power to the trailer hook-up. Yep. I was getting power, but still no lights.

Then I noticed a small white wire dangling from the harness.

The ground wire.

That wire has to be connected to the metal frame of the trailer for the current to run through the lighting system. There has to be a current of electricity. A ground wire opens the door for that current.

Back to the Gator. Sure enough, as soon as I removed and replaced the old ground wire to the negative battery terminal, it cranked up immediately. I couldn’t help but see the parallel to creativity. 

God is the ultimate Creator. And He made us in His image to be creators. We have the power of God literally resident inside us, the Holy Spirit. The power we need to take on and complete any creative endeavor. Work through any creative problem. But unless that power is “grounded” it remains untapped. It can’t flow through us.

Prayer is what grounds us!

Prayer reminds us that all the creative ideas and energy we have come from God. And when we pray a simple prayer like, “God help me do this.” the current of God’s power is released! 

By the way, He loves it when we pray that prayer. God delights in working with us.

So next time you’re faced with:

• A problem you can’t solve

• A blank screen and no inspiration

• A chapter that’s just not coming together

• A blank canvas with no inspiration

• A script where the plot is twisted beyond comprehension

• A song lyric that just won’t come

• A production that doesn’t have enough funding

• A series of lines you can’t seem to memorize

Then pray. Get grounded. Let the power of God’s creativity flow through you.

Jesus wants us to bear much fruit in our creative undertakings. He put it this way in John 15:5-6,

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (NIV)

Apart from Him we can do nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada.

Definitely sounds like being creatively blocked.

But with Him? We can do everything!

So next time you get stuck in your creative efforts, pray. 

Get grounded. 

And let the current flow!

What creative project are you stuck on right now and how can I pray for you?

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