What’s That Smell? It Smells Like… Jenny Price

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Lesson #1:  Being STUCK stinks!

I walked in my house last night, after being away for five days, and it smelled like dead animals.  So, I walked through the house, looking for a dead raccoon, or squirrel, thinking, maybe one crawled into my house through my toilet.  Okay, so I didn’t think that was a strong possibility, but you never know.  THEN, it got much worse.  I opened my garage door, and smelled DEAD CORPSES!  Or at least what I presume that to smell like.  So, then, I wandered my garage, looking for the trapped dead animal, this being more of a reality, but I still could not find one.  The whole time, the smell just got stronger and stronger.  I have NEVER smelled something so awful.  So, guess what it really was? 

Our outdoor freezer door was STUCK open for over four days.  The freezer was lined with a couple centimeters depth of dead chicken juice…need I say more?

I went to bed last night, praying I would sleep, and generously placed lavender essential oil up my nose, so that the smell would go away.  And today, I am continuing to try all the home remedies for ridding my home, garage, and freezer of such dreadful DEAD odors.  Tea tree oil spray is all over the place, coffee grounds are in the freezer, and I have a casserole dish full of vanilla extract baking in my garage oven.  I am desperately hoping the stench will vanish.

This is not just a long blog about awful odors. 

It’s a picture to me of what it looks like and smells like to be STUCK in life. 

Funny how God gave me two strong pictures of this in one day.  Must be something He is teaching ME!

Lesson #2:  Being stuck will drive you nuts! and it will also drive those around you nuts!

My sister and I drove home to Florida from Tennessee yesterday, and were in the car from 7:38 am to 7:48 pm.  OVER 12 hours.  Oh yeah, there were also four kids with us.  So, that feeling of being STUCK was present, especially those last few hours of Florida Turnpike.  This is what I observed about our “stuckness”.

Being stuck is:

POINTLESS  At one point, I was watching Dustin, the three year old, slowly, one by one, digit by digit, count his knuckles on each finger.  Kind of funny, but if that is all we got to do in a day, OH, how little value comes out of such a day.  It feels and IS really pointless to just sit there, twiddling your thumbs, when LIFE is happening all around you.

MINDLESS  I love that my car has four DVD players, where the kids in the back can watch one movie, and the kids in front a different movie.  It is a treasure to not have to hear 12 hours of chaos, and “Mom, are we there yet?”  It is a huge treat, but wow, how mindless it is, to just sit there, and stare at a screen.  And how mindless it is to just sit there, and stare at that road ahead of you.

ENDLESS  In ths last three weeks, I have traveled over 55 hours in a car – across the state of Florida, and from South Florida to the mountains of NC and TN twice.  That is some endless time in the car.  Of course, the gift of travel is a wonderful thing, and I had some really awesome time with family and friends.  But it is the idle, empty, boring, endless time in the car that is the picture of “stuckness” that I want to leave you with.

IF, I literally was STUCK in a car with my sister, and four kids, STUCK in this car for over 55 hours, can you imagine the smell?  And when I say stuck, I mean, STUCK. Not even moving out of the car for potty trips.  YIKES!  Well, I still think my house smelled worse than (what might be) the smell of 55 hours and 6 people in one vehicle.

God does NOT want me STUCK; or you stuck; or anyone stuck.  Not even our worst enemies.  Not even Casey Anthony.  God does not want us STUCK in the prison cells of our choosing – or of another’s choosing.  He does not want dead carcasses.  He wants LIVING creatures; not smelly, dead, lifeless creatures.

HE WANTS MORE FOR US than we could ever begin to imagine.

He wants fulfillment, not mere survival. 

He wants spectacular, not basic.

He wants what is possible, not what is probable. 

He wants my whole life, not just half.

He wants excellent, not mediocre.

He wants abundance, not settling for less.

He wants growth, NOT decay.

Where are you stuck today?  And how can you tap into the living God of the universe to find MORE life? 

I would absolutely LOVE your feedback and would LOVE to offer to pray for you in your journey today.  Jenny

  • http://www.facebook.com/brendahaasemendenhall Brenda Haase-Mendenhall

    First, get a bucket of bleach & wate for your freezer, along with some boxes of baking soda. One word of warning, if the dead chicken juice is in the plastic tubing…forget everything I said above and either call a service man or buy a new freezer. After hurricane Jeanne & Francis, I had the same thing happen because we evacuated (Note to self: When hurricane warning exists & you need to evacuate, cook everything in your freezer and have all your friends over to break bread).
    Second, I feel stuck all of the time. Or maybe it is even TRAPPED. I often get stuck or trapped in pain & it causes me to slow down or halt life all together. Makes me feel useless sometimes. I often wonder if God has a greater role for me, but I’m grateful for the small roles I have.
    I’ll take you up on your offer for prayer. Please pray that the nuerologist will have answers and direction for me. If I’m to live out my life in pain, maybe if it’s not too much to ask, pray that the stifling spasms cease & perhaps I’ll come across a more holistic approach to pain control/relief.
    Meanwhile, I’ll be content with my small roles until I can achieve a better quality of life…instead of feeling like a horse that’s being put out to pasture and needs to go to the glue factory! :)

    • http://iwokeupyesterday.com iwokeupyesterday

      if you only knew how many things i am trying…so thank you Brenda for more suggestions :)
      and you doing those small things, is doing SOME thing, so keep it up. i can’t imagine what it is like to live in pain. i do see many who suffer this, and i try to help them with Pilates, and with prayer even more. so, LORD, lift up my sister Brenda, and give her YOUR healing power, in physical and spiritual form. we love her and know that you have even more in store for her today, and tomorrow, and for all the days ahead

  • Lisa Scacco

    Jenny, thanks for making me think about what area(s) of my life I am STUCK in. I need to pray and ask God to show me the answer in which areas of my life I can give more of myself to Him.

    • http://iwokeupyesterday.com iwokeupyesterday

      if only we all asked HIM that every day…it is a brave prayer you are pursuing…LORD, i pray for Lisa, that you will just reveal to her the areas where she may be holding back, and that you will give her support in your word, and in the body of Christ – to hold her to the things you show her

  • Claudia

    Such wisdom, such perspective…Thank you, Jenny.

  • Worthygirl

    Stuck is also an attitude and different for everyone. I LOVE traveling in the car for long periods. My husband drives and I get caught up on my reading and other stuff I don’t do when the chaos of everyday life surrounds me.