Overwhelmed

“Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”  (Psalms 61:1-2, KJV)

You would think that a quarantine would simplify things. You would think that having fewer choices would give us so much more focus and clarity about what’s really important. And you would think we would find so much more emotional headroom.

But it doesn’t seem to work that way. At least not for me.

It seems that for every decision that has been made for me, three new ones pop up out of nowhere. I’m forced to ask myself questions about the way it feels to no longer have certain choices, and why it feels that way. Is there something that I’m not seeing about myself? Some character flaw that has gone unnoticed until now?

I’m not ashamed to admit that my heart is overwhelmed. I’m not afraid of the virus, yet I take precautions. I’m not concerned that I will somehow pass it to my extended family, but I respect the decisions to isolate.

I think that I feel overwhelmed because the relatively few non-family relationships that I have are essentially put on hold. My ordinarily limited social interaction is now extraordinarily limited. I’m spending a lot more time with my immediate family (my wife and daughter), trying not to get on anyone’s nerves too much.

Overwhelmed is not a new condition for me. I’ve spent a fair bit of time on it’s shores. I’ve learned—though I’ve not always utilized the knowledge—that when I am overwhelmed I have a Savior. When the floodwaters of fear, anger, selfishness, etc., begin closing in on me I know of Higher Ground. A place where the floodwaters never crest. Far above the anxieties of earthly life, we can find comfort in the arms of the one who calmed the raging seas with His words.

I’m sure that I’m not alone in my state of being. Which means that you are not alone either. We all go through times—sometimes even long times—of overwhelm. And we are in good company. Noah, Job, Elijah, even Jesus had times when He was overwhelmed (remember His time in the garden!).

Remembering this is key. Jesus said, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  (Matthew 28:20, ESV). We will always find strength and comfort in Him. He is our higher ground. He is “the rock that is higher than I.” He understands what it’s like to feel overwhelmed, and He is always there to wrap us in His loving arms.

As always, these are the musings of a mindful disciple. Blessings on your week!

Image by Anastasia Shuraeva on Pexels.