Information Age

 

To say we are overwhelmed is such an understatement. The whole world is overwhelmed and inundated with information available 24/7. Living in the Age of Information has a lot of upsides. But it also has a lot of downsides. I think we can safely say that the vast majority of people are living on overload and overwhelm. Even if I am wrong - I know I am living in a state of overwhelm and overload. 

This morning, I was reading Psalm 61. David prayed, When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. If David's heart could be overwhelmed back then without the internet, without the online social (sometimes toxic) interactions, without phones, etc, how much easier is it for us to be overwhelmed in a world that is always on? 

But here's the thing. David knew where to go. He went straight for the heart of God and prayed for God to lead him right back to the Rock even in those moments of overwhelm, misunderstanding, overload, and anything else David felt, his habit was to run to God with it. 

In the next couple of verses, David reminds himself that God has been there for him in the past. He states specifically that God had been a shelter and a strong tower. Following that, David makes his declarations. I will abide...I will trust.

This old-fashioned remedy still works today! And it even works for caregivers! :-)

• Pray. Go ahead and tell God everything. He is big enough to handle our true feelings. All the overwhelm. Questions. Doubts. Fears. Uncertainties. He can handle it all! It won't scare Him away. In fact, He'll move in closer.
• Remember. Take time to think about how God has always brought you through up to this point. Remind yourself of other storms you've faced in life. Caregiving may be the ultimate storm or test - but it's never a standalone deal! We've been through so many things before and during our caregiving years. It's encouraging to look back at how God has been there for us, helped us work out the unworkable, and walk through the unexplainable.
• Declare. Making declarations can be invigorating. They don't have to be elaborate. I will trust You, Lord. That may be it! David made two in three in Psalm 61. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever (perhaps not a physical place - but in His presence). I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. (v4) I will sing praise to Your name. (v.8) Making declarations helps release emotional responses and resets your attitude.

Today, I will trust God for all the overwhelming stuff on my proverbial plate. I will look to Him in those times when it feels like the "last straw" just got added to the load. I will praise Him for just being. I will thank Him for moving in closer instead of walking away from this broken life. And I will continue to believe that He will carry me through this day as needed because He's always been there for me. I will trust Him for one more day, how about you?

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BOOK OF THE WEEK: 31 Days in Psalm 31 What was David thinking about during some of his hardest trials? 31 Days in Psalm 31 is a devotional that spends 31 days with God in the cave.