When My Heart is Overwhelmed

When My Heart is Overwhelmed  

“O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!”  
Psalms 61:1-4 NLT 

These verses stood out to me the other day. My heart is overwhelmed right now. Overwhelmed with holiday plans and packing to move into a new house. Overwhelmed with details at work and more responsibilities. Overwhelmed with trying to keep up with friends. Be nice to my husband while I’m stressed. Take care of my dog who literally this morning chewed part of a wooden leg off of a super old family heirloom. Eat vegetables. Exercise. Life is a lot right now.  

The Psalmist probably wasn’t overwhelmed with exactly the same things. David was maybe fighting a war, trying to be king, deal with all of his children’s fights and issues and claims to the throne. Trying to write down hymns for God while also ruling a kingdom. But overwhelm is a common human emotion. We are mortal, limited, whatever the opposite of omniscient is. We get overwhelmed.  

Step 1: be overwhelmed. Step 2: cry to God for help. Step 3: sit with God. Tell him why I’m overwhelmed. Believe it’s okay for me to be human, be gracious with myself like I always believe God will. Step 4: believe he can help, can give moments of rest or strength in unending activities, can guide when we don’t know what to do next.  

Reflect: What are you overwhelmed with in life right now? How can you be gracious with yourself in this?  

Pray: God, thank you for having another overwhelmed person write a psalm that speaks to us now. Thank you for knowing me and caring about why I feel this way and all of the things that I am juggling. Give me wisdom on next steps. Give me peace. Walk with me now. Amen.  

May you feel God’s presence with you,  ​Sarah Visser-Kincaid