The Little Things
How to get over being overwhelmed!
The alarm rings at 5:30am; after several rough nudges, I
throw my legs over the side of the bed and bury my face into my hands. A short
prayer is emitted, “Lord help me…” My house moves like clockwork, the infant is
crying for attention and the toddler is fussing to be fed moments
afterwards. A little more rest would be
ideal but the snarl of traffic grows with each passing minute.
Clothes, breakfast and backpacks are readied and before I
know it, it is time to leave.
The hustle of our days coupled with the responsibilities of
our careers and extracurricular activities can be daunting. It is easy to
become overwhelmed and exhausted.
Yet, just as what we have to do can be overwhelming – what we love to do can be overwhelming as well.
Sunday we did an object lesson using a tug-of-war rope. I
held one rope end with one hand and had an elementary student grab the other rope
end. Easily I was able to pull the child in my direction. I added another
elementary child to the opposite end of the rope. Once again, I easily pulled the children in
my direction. Another child was added. It forced me to use two hands but I
successfully pulled them. A fourth child was added and the task became
significantly more difficult. I was able to pull them for a moment but they
prevailed.
Little tasks individually
handled are easily manageable.
However, when those small tasks multiply, they
can
develop the “overwhelmed” feeling.
The Bible compares it to small foxes that spoil a vine rich
with succulent fruit. (Song of Solomon 2:15)
We never plan to be overwhelmed. Yet, the incessant addition
of school/career work, family needs, body goals, social plans, and life
interruptions stack like Legos. The
little things nip at your productivity, your sleep, your strength, and your
will.
I know what overwhelmed feels like but I also know whose name
overrides any and everything with surrender posturing power.
Be encouraged with these scriptures:
Psalm 46:1-2, 61:2, 119:105 - Instead of just crying about
your current situation, cry out to the God who delivers, sets free, and
saves. He is the bird’s eye view to your
situation and the guide to get out.
1 Corinthians 14:33 – God is not the creator of confusion.
He is a promoter of peace. When there is insurmountable stress, slow down and
seek God’s face. Pause and Pray!
Mark 6:31 – Step away from some things. People tend to
unnecessarily carry things that have no real benefit to their day or even their
life. I have an overstuffed wallet that makes it difficult sit down when it is
in my back pocket. That wallet contains my college ID, a couple expired gift
cards, some receipts, and various other useless items. The weight of these
individual items is insignificant. Nevertheless, when they are combined they
cause a problem. The items carried value
at one time but now I’m still carrying things that mean more to me than they do
by themselves. Let it go.
In the close of my tug-of-war object lesson, I led the youth
to scripture that reminded them that Jesus cares deeply for us. He sees when we
are struggling to sustain and the moment we call His name, He steps in and adds
supernatural strength to help us hold on and remind us when to let go.
