Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
I sink in deep mire,
where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
and the flood sweeps over me.
I am weary with my crying;
my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
with waiting for my God.
— Psalm 69:1-3
It is OK to feel overwhelmed.
You turn on the news and see the reports of the latest death toll.
You go to the websites and they tell you how people are doing amazing things, but what you are doing is wrong or worthless.
You read your social media feed and you read about how everyone but the author of the post is stupid, evil, or both.
Even the people you turn to for hope are now full of pessimism.
You feel frightened, but exhausted.
You feel bored, but have so many expectations to fulfill.
You want to be able to do it all, but everything takes so much longer, because you have to do it in a new way.
Above all, you have to maintain — for the sake of the kids; the parents; the partner; the boss. And most importantly, you have to push through and prevail because it is how you see yourself.
It is OK to feel overwhelmed.
The Psalms are full of overwhelmed people (or David feeling overwhelmed again and again, depending on your perspective on the Bible). The psalms speak to a people with all of our normal (and extraordinary) human feelings. Imagine going to the Temple and singing together a song you know by heart – not just because you have memorized it, but because it expresses that which is on your heart.
When you recite the words, you know: It is OK to feel overwhelmed.
It is OK to hurt, it is OK to hope, it is OK to complain, it is OK to rejoice, it is OK to approach God, it is OK to hide from God, it is OK to be angry at God. And God has heard it before. You aren’t going to hurt God’s feelings. So don’t hold it in. Express it. Tell God how you feel. When you express it, you take away its power over you.
Sometimes in reflecting with persons who care for others, we find ourselves saying “Remember to offer to yourself the same grace you extend to others.”
So when you have had enough, tell God. Tell others. Let them hear that frustration, pain, and fear.
And when someone expresses that sense of being overwhelmed, listen. You don’t have to fix things. You probably can’t. Often, asking “What can I do to help?” or “May I do ___________ for you?” will result in a brush off. But don’t be upset. Keep listening. Sometimes all we need to do is express our emotion to someone else, and that will be enough.
Frequently in the Psalms, after the statement of exhaustion, lament, or anger, the author goes on to remember the works of God in the past. They remember God’s promises. They remember what God has done in their lives. That is because God usually doesn’t interrupt us when we pray or sing. God gives us space to empty ourselves, and to unwind the tense springs of our stress. Then we can just be in God a while.
Eventually we remember enough to find hope and strength rallying with in us.
No, we still won’t be able to do a full Marie Kondo on our house. No we still won’t be able to make a seven layer cake from scratch. No we won’t be able to design the perfect… whatever. But we will be able to move on. With help. In our community of family and faith.
— Psalm 69: 30-33
“I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
This will please the Lord more than an ox
or a bull with horns and hoofs.
Let the oppressed see it and be glad;
you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
For the Lord hears the needy,
and does not despise his own that are in bonds.”
Amen!
Pastor George