A Word to the Overwhelmed
Here you are.
It feels like so much.
The responsibilities are a lot.
The demands are many.
The time to rest seems to get shorter by the day.
I understand where you are.
I understand what it feels like.
I too have been overwhelmed.
Regardless of the reason, being overwhelmed is a lot to process.
If we live in that state for too long, we become stressed.
Often it then physically attacks our body.
It leaves us emotionally, mentally, and spiritually worn.
But I’m writing to remind you today that there is Hope.
Whatever we may be walking through right now, does not define who we are.
We are not the sum of our responsibilities and/or the things required of us.
Who we are in God’s eyes is what and all that matters.
You may be walking through the deepest darkest valley right now.
You may be awaiting discernment to make an important decision.
You may be on the cusp of a new adventure.
The reality that life ebbs and flows is no surprise.
How we choose to embrace each day is important.
May we live with gratitude for each day.
May we wake up in the morning feeling refreshed, taking a deep breath, and thanking God before our feet even hit the floor.
May we learn our triggers and those little nudges inside our bodies telling us when it’s time to step back or take a break. Our bodies are smart and were wired to know when we need rest or are running into danger.
May we appreciate the lessons learned. Not everything and everyone is out there to make our lives miserable.
May we stop and enjoy the small things in life.
May we notice the birds chirping early in the morning, the weeds growing along our yard even though we don’t want them, and the leaves that change color with the cool Autumn air.
There are blessings out there every day.
We are often so busy and juggling so many different things that we don’t often see the joy-filled simplicities right before us.
Take the time to spend with a friend today.
Make the phone call.
Give the hug.
Give a high-five.
Cheer each other on in this life.
You never know what someone else is carrying.
Just like you, the overwhelming feelings sometimes make it too hard. Others feel it too.
We are in this together.
You are not alone.
You are loved.
You are seen.
You are enough.
Believe it today.
Romans 12:1-3, MSG -
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
