Ever felt stuck? Maybe you have had a mission, a goal, a dream or a relationship, and everything was sailing along, then suddenly stopped?

Or maybe you can’t point to one single external change, but inside you feel listless, stagnant or a little depressed as you aimlessly float without direction.

This experience is sometimes referred to as the doldrums.

It comes from the nautical term for the belt around the Earth near the equator known as the Doldrums.

The prevailing winds of the northern hemisphere meet with those of the southern and circulate upward resulting in little surface wind.

Rainstorms produced here hover without wind to push them along.

In the days when ships relied solely on wind to move them, it was an area feared for it could mean days or weeks before getting back on course.

While today’s ships can avoid or power through the area, we are still susceptible to emotional doldrums.

I have tried to think on all things positive and talk myself out of these slumps.

However, it’s only when I combine these things with prayer that I find lasting relief.

Zechariah 4:6 reads, “‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

In this verse, the word spirit is a translation of the Hebrew word, which also means breath or wind.

Despite my best efforts, it’s only the Holy Spirit of God Who breathes life into me and puts the wind back in my sails.

Ronny Michel may be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.