Overwhelmed Part 3 of 5
Did you know that there is a new show on called, "Alone"? For an extreme extrovert, that sounds like the worst show ever. But if you happen to be a true survivor, looking for a challenge behind every rock and tree, wanting the chance to find out if you have what it takes, then it's the show for you.
Girls. It's time to talk. You ready?
You and I are not contestants on "Alone". We live like it, though. Don't we? Trying to just survive in the wilderness alone. My metaphor might be a little over the top, but maybe not.
One of the three ways that I become overwhelmed is by trying to do life alone.
That sounds so ridiculously obvious. Especially when we pause long enough to be impressed with God. Yet, if God is who we keep telling people he is, if he really is the God of our worship songs, then why do we wake up each morning and do life on our own? "Our God's not dead...he's roaring like a lion", but we can't hear him. We sing, "Holy Spirit, you are welcome here", but we rush out the door disconnected from him.
I have struggled with this, and I share this to connect with one of you that might walk out life in this messed up too. Through some great counseling and discipleship, I discovered my struggle to see God involved in my life. In my mind, he was distant. I always believed that he could do anything, but did not trust that he would for me.
From there, all I could do was try harder. Do the right thing. It was up to me. Alone. As a mom of four little ones, I pushed through fighting with my own strength to be a "good" mom. It was up to me, right?
I wrote a while back about living as an orphan, which came out of raising a child who once was abandoned. God opened my eyes as I watched my hurting son, that I too live my life as if I have no father. This little boy spent a few years surviving an orphanage. Alone. You think you feel overwhelmed? I've watched him in complete shut down mode as he tried to work through problems, forgetting that he had us by his side. He's been with us almost five years, but he quickly reverts back to his abandonment. Buried, drowning under a heavy weight. Lying on the mat defeated.
I wish you were sitting in front of me right now, in the blue comfy chair across from mine. I would look you in the face and tell you that you are not alone. You never have been. Never will be. You and I can keep living this life on our own strength or we can rise up off the mat in his! Life can be hard and full of challenges, but when we wait in his presence, we do not have to be overwhelmed by life. We can instead be overwhelmed by our God!
Please read this short post about life as an orphan as part of today's post. I hope it encourages you to be impressed with God and to trust him moment by moment. He is here.
Click this link: Life as an Orphan
For further reading, here are two more links of very similar posts: