Rock Solid

I would ask you if you ever feel overwhelmed, but I'm pretty sure what your answer would be after you stopped laughing. Caregiving can create such a sense of overwhelm it's hard to see out from underneath it. As my friend (I mentioned yesterday) and I were talking, I heard her say something I've said thousands of times I'm behind on everything. And the other part is that these feelings rarely go away. 

I took an overloaded heart to bed last night. My last thoughts and breaths last night were prayers on how and what I can change to make things less overwhelming for me. I know something needs to change, but what and how? With all these thoughts running through my head, I found myself crying out to God again. It really is a wonder that He never tires of us running to Him. I have this mental image of myself with my arms loaded full of stuff, inching my way to Him. He never disappoints.

I love that God doesn't disqualify my overwhelm. He never tells me that I brought it on myself, even though I'm sure much of it is of my own making. Instead, He gently guides me closer to His heart and helps me unload it all there.

Psalm 61 is a favorite of mine. In the '70s we sang it a lot in church. David says, Hear my cry O God! Listen to my prayer! From the end of the earth I will cry to You. When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher (stronger, sturdier, and more solid) than I.

David was overwhelmed sometimes, too. It is a little helpful to know it's not really a new thing. Maybe David felt like he was about to fall off the edge of the earth. Maybe he felt like life as he knew it was about to end. He gives new meaning to living on the edge! lol. But David knew what to do when he was overwhelmed. He ran right to God. In fact, he sincerely prayed in verse 2, Lead me. 

As caregivers, we can do the same thing. When we are overwhelmed, we can ask the Spirit of God, who lives in us (we are not disqualified because we are caregivers!), to lead us back to the Solid Rock. I believe He will meet us in that heartfelt cry every single time.

Today, I will cry out from underneath a caregiver's overwhelm. My heart will diligently seek God, and I will pray that He leads me to safety. God never moves. He never leaves. He's always present. And He will even lead us to Himself while He waits for us to unload it all and trust Him for one more day. I'm so thankful that He is not ashamed of my load. He doesn't shake His head as I approach for the ten thousandth time today. He patiently waits for me to wait for Him, then He carries me. I can trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?

Check out my latest release. Command Your Morning part 2. This 31-day devotional is the second one in my series Command Your Morning. (Yes, I already started on part 3 - and you're gonna love it!) Take a 31-day journey through Psalm 119 as you practice setting your intention to point your heart at God each day. It's available on Kindle and Print. Check it out!