Women

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o•ver•whelm
o•ver•whelmed, o•ver•whelm•ing, o•ver•whelms
1. To surge over and submerge; engulf:
a. To defeat completely and decisively
b. To affect deeply in mind or emotion
2. To present with an excessive amount
3. To turn over; upset:
This is how I felt a few days ago or have felt numerous times before. I hear women say it all the time. “I was so overwhelmed.” “This is so overwhelming.” “I was taken over and felt overwhelmed.” It sounds as if we have been conquered, doesn’t it? I had a real bad case of OS (overwhelmed syndrome) and it reminded me of a drive I took to Wal-Mart one day. Have you ever gotten in a car and you just knew it was going to pour on you? The sky was as dark as it can get, the air smelled like rain, the wind whistled “rain” in your ear, and the clouds were quickly approaching. Oh yes, I saw the rain was coming but decided to go anyway. By the time I hit the highway, drops covered my front windshield and it was pouring so hard I couldn’t even see. Let’s pause for a moment…….usually this is how OS starts. I mean, let’s be real, we can sense it. We know when we have reached our peak. Instead of patiently waiting for the rain to approach, shower, and elapse, I decided to go ahead and face it.

This was a mistake. It’s like missing a foul shot or underbidding in a spades game. No confidence or you choke. Well, I made my way to Wal-Mart, got whatever items that were so important at the time, ran back to my car because it was still pouring, and proceeded to go back home. As I got back on the highway I kept thinking, “Self……..you really need to practice obedience, patience, and belief.” I was about 4 minutes from home when I saw some clarity, a blue sky, a rainbow, and felt a sense of relief. It was as if God was opening His door to the Kingdom and right then I realized that this storm was a symbol of how wonderfully our Father works.

You see, when we become overwhelmed it’s a feeling of being overly extended, past our limit, overly committed, over turned by an excessive amount, affected with deep mental tiredness that destroys the ability to receive and give in a gratifying way. It’s like a wire is cut so there’s no flow of anything coming or going. We are defective and shut down. You may think I sound crazy, like the human body and mind is some type of machine, but really it is. We forget about the center, the heart. It’s what keeps things flowing, it’s on time, and has great capabilities for keeping the rest of us moving. That is God! The center. We forget all about Him. We rely on others and other aspects of our lives to get us motivated when it’s already written in His word to come to Him first.

That rain I encountered was me trying to defeat this thing we call “life” all on my own. We put ourselves through so many unnecessary struggles. We sense it, but ignore. We go through with whatever we are going through without prayer and guidance from Him, getting injured (most times emotionally), but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Why is that? Because, God never gives us more than what we can handle. If I would have waited and let the storm pass I could have spared myself all the drama. But, I hit it head on feeling I was in control. If we rely on God and allow Him to work His mighty works, He shall deliver us!

Romans 8:28 NIV
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

How awesome and great is He? I don’t want anything to make me feel that I am over myself, my family, my life, my dreams, hopes, and inspirations. God allows us to see that all things are possible through Christ. The next time you feel the OS approaching, pause, pray, and be patient. The three “P’s” can save you so much stress. During my OS period I opened up the book (Holy Bible) and this scripture came right from Him.

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Oh, my sisters, how assuring is this to know that he is right here with us? He is shoulder to shoulder with us through all the nitty-gritty, hurts, cries, and doubts to show us that we can be free from all things that hinder us from becoming more intimate with Him. It is so easy to lie down horizontally but it’s not gratifying; to be standing vertically is to reach higher, to another level of becoming more Christ like.

Ephesians 3:12 NIV
“In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

Liz

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