There are moments in life when you just know a story is going to stay with you.

And sometimes… you don’t realize the story is being written until you’re in the middle of it.

Last week for the full moon and lunar eclipse my hubby and I decided to go somewhere dark where we could really see it - this little park called Desert Awareness Park behind one of our favorite brunch spots.

Perfect.

Dark sky.
Beautiful moon.
And it was the kickoff to our Anniversary weekend.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well…

Apparently, there was a gate.

And apparently, that gate locks!

😂

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Here’s the thing: I didn’t see a gate when we went in. I didn’t see a sign telling us the gate would close. We were just enjoying the evening, watching the moon slowly disappear into the eclipse.

And then, about halfway through, we decided it was time to head home.

As we were driving out of the park I gasped!

There was a gate. And it was LOCKED… and there was no other way out!

So I did what any perfectly calm, rational woman would do…

I Googled the County Sheriff’s Department non-emergency number and called for help!

Finally about an hour later, we saw headlights coming toward us.

A very nice young sheriff arrived and said, “You’re not the first people we’ve had to come rescue.”

Which, honestly, made me feel a little better.

Except…

He didn’t have the code!

So we waited.

Eventually another officer arrived.

He didn’t have the key either.

At this point, I was thinking, Seriously??? You can’t make this up!

After a few phone calls, checking to see if a key would work instead, codes that failed and more phone calls - they finally figured it out.

The gate opened and we were free!

But here’s my “everything happens for a reason moment”.

The officers hadn’t realized there was a lunar eclipse happening.

So while they were there rescuing us, they got to experience the dark sky, the eclipse, and take some pictures themselves.

And yes…

I got them to take a selfie with us…Because of course I did!

As we drove home, I couldn’t stop thinking about how strangely perfect the whole thing felt. Especially since it forced us to stay and enjoy the full lunar eclipse not rush out and miss watching the transition.

Because isn’t that life sometimes?

You think you’re moving along just fine.

You know where you’re going.

You think you know how you’re getting out.

And then suddenly…

The gate is locked.

And you’re stuck.

That word—stuck—has been on my mind a lot lately.

Because there are seasons in life when we don’t have the answer yet.

We don’t know what comes next and we can’t see the path forward.

Our instinct can be to think something has gone wrong. To push. To force.

To make something happen because we are uncomfortable sitting in the uncertainty.

But what if being in-between isn’t the same thing as being stuck?

What if sometimes…

the answer simply isn’t ready yet?

That night, I couldn’t open that gate.

There was nothing I could do about it.

So I called for help. And then I waited.

I didn’t know how long it would take.

I didn’t know which person would have the answer.

But eventually…

the gate opened.

And I think there’s a lesson in that.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about strategic patience.

And I’m realizing that strategic patience isn’t passive.

It’s not sitting around waiting for your life to happen.

It’s knowing when you’ve done what you can do…

and then having the courage to wait for the next piece of information to reveal itself.

It’s trusting that not every closed door—or locked gate—is a sign that you’re going the wrong direction.

Sometimes it’s simply a pause.

Sometimes it’s protection.

Sometimes it’s redirection.

And sometimes…

you just need somebody with the right key.

And there’s another part of this story that I really love.

We went looking for the moon.

And instead, we found a story.

We found connection.

We met two people who were simply doing their jobs, but who ended up sharing this extraordinary moment with us.

They came to rescue us…

and we got to share the eclipse with them.

And that reminds me of something I believe deeply:

We aren’t meant to do this life alone.

Sometimes we’re the person who needs help. Sometimes we’re the person who has the light.

And sometimes we’re both.

That’s what makes life so beautiful.

We don’t always know which role we’re going to play when we walk into a moment.

So here’s the reflection I want to leave you with today:

Where in your life do you feel stuck right now?
And what if you shifted the question?
Instead of asking:
“Why isn’t this happening?”
What if you asked:
“What might be unfolding that I can’t see yet?”
What if you practiced a little strategic patience?

What if you trusted that you don’t have to force the gate open?

And what if, while you’re waiting…you looked up?

Because sometimes we’re so focused on finding the exit that we forget to notice the light.

I don’t know exactly how this next chapter is unfolding.

And honestly? I’m okay with that.

I can be curious.

I can stay open.

I can keep moving where I can.

I can ask for help when I need it.

And I can be strategically patient.

Because eventually…

the gate opens.

And when it does, maybe we’ll understand why we needed to wait.

Until then…look up.

Notice what’s beautiful. Trust what’s unfolding.

And remember:

**You may not be stuck. You may simply be standing at a gate that hasn’t opened yet.**

I’m Heather, Founder of HigherRelevance™, and this is Living a HigherRelevance Life.

Remember who you are.

Align with your purpose.

Rise into your power.

Please comment below where you are practicing strategic patience.

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The Night We Got Locked In Under the Eclipse