--
McIntyre Bluff and Vaseux Lake, British Columbia, Canada
" . . . When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."
A peaceful hush fell over the room. Each of us bowed heads and hearts, eyes closed so souls could open, filling with the blissful quiet. The young pastor who offered this moment of reflection before the service began, said it had been a hectic week for him too, and I nodded agreement. Oh, so hectic! A barely perceptible murmur, not quite a sound, but a soft stirring, told me the rest of the closed-eye, open-souled sojourners in the room had endured hectic weeks too. I don't know why I thought it was just us, and I don't know why it helped so much to know it wasn't, but it did. For you too perhaps?
Sometimes it all feels so out of control, and the fear sneaks in unbidden, but you're so busy trying to hold on, you don't even realize it's there. In the frenzy of the day-to-day, too much noise, too much traffic, too many places to be all at once, too many considerations and assignments and requirements, it's so easy to get overwhelmed.
Where do you go when the world feels like a tilt-a-whirl ride run amok? What do you grab ahold of when all you see are slippery, smooth walls and someone has cranked the speed to maximum?
When my days are fraught and frenzied, I grab ahold of a few of God's best gifts and trust Him to meet me in the midst of it all
—here are my favorite things to do to help me through crazy days:
SING!
Singing is one of the best ways I know to lift a heavy heart, sometimes by expressing what's in it, sometimes by expressing the opposite of what's in it. However it works for you, SING!! I mean windows down, volume up, at the top of your lungs, SING!! Singing is both a physical endeavor AND an emotional release. It's so good for you, and music has a way of transmitting things you know intellectually to the deeper knowing of your heart and mind and soul.
LAUGH!
Keeping an easy sense of humor about the zaniness and all the unexpected twists and turns our days take us through will help it all to flow over the rough spots more easily. Laughing in the face of the stress can help us go through our days in a spirit of togetherness rather than allowing it to tear us apart. We really do have the choice, every time, whether to laugh along good naturedly or to tense up even further—can you guess which one feels better?? I'll bet you can!!
PRAY!
Prayer, right in the middle of the adrenaline rush, can do wonders to calm your jangled nerves. Talking to God, out loud if you can, is the best way I know to get connected to His wonderful, peace-giving Presence. Imagine Him sitting next to you in the car, or hurrying along with you to that appointment you're running late for, or with His arm around your shoulder holding you together when you think you just might fly apart. He really IS doing all those things!! Talk to Him like you know He is!!
BREATHE!
In the mad rush to keep up with all our scheduled and unscheduled commitments each day, I don't know about you, but sometimes I find myself holding my breath. All of the sudden my body will demand a deep breath because I've been unconsciously depriving myself of my most basic need for sufficient oxygen. Lately I have been trying to remind myself beforehand to breathe deeply, to slow my internal pace, even if I have to rush on the outside.
Back in church this morning, in those few brief moments of quiet, I experienced such a feeling of calm and such a refreshing sense of peace. Silence really can be golden! When my heart is overwhelmed, Jesus is the Rock that is higher than I. He is my reason to sing, the source of joy that bubbles up in laughter, the One I can talk to about anything, and the very breath that sustains my life. May you know Him as your peace and walk (or run) with Him in joy this week dear friends!
How do you sort out your emotions when you're feeling overwhelmed?
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Joining Ann Voskamp in counting His graces for her Multitudes on Mondays
I hope you'll join in if you haven't already!
In the counting of the endless gifts I say with C. S. Lewis,
#821-850
821. That when my plan was altered and I was tempted to chafe and grump, the Holy Spirit took ahold of my heart and helped me choose to stay flexible.
822. Laundry baskets that empty of dirty clothes and fill up with clean ones
823. A clean car
824. She So Sweet's excitement and enjoyment of her new job
825. Late night quiet
826. The moment you can close your eyes and let sleep envelope you
827. Hopeful hearts
828. That any football field, under Friday night lights, feels like home.
829. Helium balloons
830. Cheerleaders' pom poms
831. Homecoming win!
832. Early Sunday morning at Panera
833. Drummer Boy, doing what Drummer Boy does best! It had been too long!
834. Walking through the doors at church, eager to be there!
835. Fresh peaches that are ACTUALLY juice-dripping-off-your-elbows ripe and that look like sliced sunrise.
836. The perfect dress!
837. Getting a same day appointment
838. Drummer Boy's comedy in an unlikely place
839. Relief
840. Playing the same song over and over to learn all the words (because they're so fun), and finally singing them all correctly, at the top of my lungs with the windows down and the sun roof open! (In case you're curious, it was Lauren Alaina's "One of Those Boys" from her new album, "Wildflower")
841. New battery in my car thanks to Hero Husband.
842. Arriving at Peet's with a headache and discovering that the smell of the coffee alone was enough to chase the headache away.
843. Shopping with She So Sweet and finding all she needed to complete her outfit for Homecoming. Knockout red shoes!!
844. Fighting through the fatigue together and helping She So Sweet with her Algebra homework until 1:00 in the morning after the marathon shopping session.
845. New Friday Dreaming Christmas card design, done and posted for sale--the one shining accomplishment in a day otherwise spent on the road accomplishing only pickups and deliveries.
846. Impromptu piano concert by Drummer Boy that had people stopping in their tracks to listen to the beautiful music he played--it soothes the troubled soul.
847. The way the weight of the day lifted with a talk with my mommy on the phone and a late night breakfast cooked by my amazing children.
848. The way she looked on the way to Homecoming and the way he looked at her--memories are made of this!
849. The uncrowded expanse of an early Sunday morning freeway
850. Hero Husband and how far out of his comfort zone he went out of love for his family
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