Overwhelmed

You ever feel like everything is just so overwhelming? Where there is this giant list of things to do and you don't feel like there's enough time to do it all? Or maybe your relationships are just suddenly totally not what you thought they were? You find out something that rips the rug out from under you and you're suddenly wondering where the floor beneath you is and how you're going to find your footing again? Do you ever feel like your brain is going 400 miles per hour and you have so much going on in it you can't even see straight let alone actually get anything done? 

Believe me when I say I feel ya. I really do. Honestly I think everyone feels like this from time to time. And some more than others. As a mom I feel like this a lot. It always feels like just when I think that I've got things under control the whole world decides to take me for a spin and remind me that I don't always have everything under control. As someone who likes to have control for the sheer fact that when I don't things seem to go sideways, knowing I can't control or fix everything can be really frustrating. Like when I'm trying to get the house clean and my kids are going right behind me and pulling it all apart, or when I'm trying to get things ordered but am stressed because I want to make sure to get the right thing, or my favorite when I try to sit down to just have a warm meal and get so caught up in trying to get things done or taking care of the kids my food gets cold. Now these are little things yes, but it's always the little things that catch us and pile up until we lose our minds. It's because it's the little things we forget about. 

But it can also be the big things that get us down too. Putting a house up for sale, buying a house, getting a pet, changing schools, moving towns, even things like ballet recitals can really get to us. We don't realize how much those things effect us. Just when we think we've got it all figured out suddenly it doesn't. Or when it doesn't work out the way we want it to and then we are scrambling to get things back to some semblance of order. How about when a relationship that has been a rock for you for so long is suddenly not as steady? When things in that relationship suddenly start to tremble? It can be terrifying trying to figure out how to fix things, especially if one party doesn't think it needs to be fixed or they aren't willing to get some trusted outside help. These things can be so overwhelming and make you feel like you are drowning. But there's some good news.

Psalm 46:10 reminds us to "Be still and Know that I am God." Guess what, He is. And that means that all those crazy things that are overwhelming us He already knows. Matthew 11:28 tells us that we are to come to Him and He will give us rest. Psalm 23 reminds us that the Lord is our shepherd and He will take care of us. He will lead us to rest, to peace, to feast, and that even when everything seems to be falling apart, or is overwhelming, or seems so hopeless He is there with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. We are never truly alone. We have someone who cares so much about us He thinks we are worth dying for. With someone like that at our side no matter how overwhelmed or stressed or lost or broken or just plain tired we are we can keep going. He's got us in his arms. He's got our backs, and our fronts. He's going to guide our feet if we but let him do it.

Now all that said there are somethings you can do to help yourself out too. First, start with a list of all the things you need to get done and slowing start checking them off. Don't beat yourself up if you don't get everything on the list done right away. Things take time. Second, for relationships, go to someone you trust and talk to them. If you can't do that, find an empty room and put an empty chair in front of you. Pretend whoever it is you feel like you need to talk to is there. Then let it all out. Scream, yell, cry, completely lose it if you need to. When you are done you will feel so much lighter and like you can actually articulate what you need to say to the person without losing your temper or your mind. Thirdly, write a letter. Sometimes putting what you need to say on paper is a great help. Even if you never give them the letter or you just burn it. Getting it out is important. It will relieve that stress. Fourthly and most importantly, pray. Shocker here for you, God doesn't mind when we lose our minds at him for a minute. He gets we are human and need to just let loose for a second. He didn't create us without emotions, so I'm about 99.999999% sure He wants us to come to Him with ALL our emotions. Anger, frustration, overwhelmed, scared, stressed, tired, and even just down right done with everything. He wants it all. So give it to Him.