OVERWHELMED

8/24/09 Overwhelmed?? Then you, along with me, need to overwhelmingly conquer.
Have you ever been so inundated with the urgencies of life that it weighs you down? Life’s happenings are a part of the reality of the world we live in---wars and terrorism ---the plight of the jobless and homeless--health, accident or weather related tragedies. Often folks we know are affected, other times it’s the faceless folks of the headlines.

Sometimes it’s our more mundane life happenings, right on our own door step, that are taking their toll. Fatigue, irritability and even anger and depression can set in because we’re just “flat out” overwhelmed. So what’s one to do?
I found myself struggling in this last week. One more time I was reacting instead of responding to ones I love dearly. Mostly I tried to hide from the situation and avoid confronting the problem---you know, my old avoiDANCE.
My friend, Michèle, hides behind her camera---I hide behind my “pen.” We both are seeking solitude and silence instead of facing the difficulty.
I don’t think burying one’s head in the sand and refusing to confront or acknowledge a problem or to even think about an unpleasant situation is the answer. Although escaping reality occasionally is certainly a common choice these days---why else would the soaps keep running and the Twilight series keep selling. (Granted, I would choose the books over the soaps any day, even though they are about vampire love---especially since even many of my friends in the faith say they can’t put them down.) Remembering that escape is only momentary is imperative to one's health. That way it doesn’t become an addiction but is used as a positive time of refreshment, albeit temporary.

What’s been getting me down is that I have the audacity to be overwhelmed about anything. I can sit here and blog in a cool house with big glass of sweet tea and a “poor me" attitude—I’m weighed down by stuff I just don’t want to deal with attitude.”
Just making decisions has been beyond me lately. No matter how much I remind myself of the insignificance of events/situations (in the grand scheme of things) that get me down, I still falter/complain.

But God…………….spoke to my heart through a verse on a bookmark. I do love bookmarks, especially ones with verses. Imagine that!
As always, the verse was so timely and after all, it is Monday.

So……….ponder--contemplate--- consider this---read a different version----deliberate---think----turn over in your mind ---write it down---mull over----reflect---think carefully (with full intent of scripture in mind), memorize and ask yourself, “What are all these things in my life that need to be conquered?”……..you get the idea. That's just "meditation" amplified.

But in all these things overwhelmingly conqueror through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

It’s our Women’s Ministry verse for the year so I’ll be meditating on this for quite a few Mondays.