Overwhelmed

Have you ever had times you have felt overwhelmed? There are times I have a number of things I need to do and everything is important and good stuff. I become overwhelmed then if I'm not careful I just walk around shaking my head. I can tell you shaking my head doesn't get any of them done which can lead straight to great discouragement. I would like to share with you these words from Michael Sanders I read in the other days devotional. He said a friend of his gave him this advice for those times. "Do what you can and give the rest a nod and a prayer." I thought that was interesting and I was thankful he went on explained. "A nod indicated that we see the problem, we are not turning a blind eye to it or ignoring it. That problem will just have to wait its turn. A prayer says that for the moment we are leaving it in the hands of God. Perhaps God has another servant equipped and better prepared for the challenge."  Just reading that gives me a freeing feeling. My goal is learn to do that with everything. I believe it will help life run a little smother. If you share the same problem I challenge you to join Michael Sanders and me in making this our practice. Have a great time nodding and praying.

A Shelter

"For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy." Psalm 61:3

Those words have been very true in my life. I started attending church at six. I needed something safe to hold onto and I found that in God. Did I understand all of what God was about? No and I still don't to this day. I guess if I did I would be god and I am so not. What I do understand is that God is kind, patient, understanding and all around love. In the dark hours of my life I have reached out and held onto Him. I have not always done, said or acted right but in spite of it all He has been there. I have not always felt Him. I have not always believed He was even caring. But what I have discovered is even in the hardest time of life He is there. I think He is just waiting for us to reach out to Him. To really know Him we need to keep in constant communion with Him. It is not easy but doable. We will go through hard times. That's a fact but the question we should give great consideration to where are we going to run for shelter? The world offers a lot of different things to help us block out the fact that we even have any problems. But how do they make you feel after? What do your actions say about your character? If it is done in secret just think how you would feel if your best friend found out? I think of the hidden sin of my father and wonder what the people he worked with would think if they knew. Do they help solve your problem or just mask it until it raises its old nasty head again? I know that when I allow God to be my shelter: first I know He is safe, second I know He will protect me from the circumstances, third I know He will help me through and last that He has the solution waiting to guide to the end of the battle. I would encourage you to seek God out and see what a great shelter He is in times of the storms. May your shelter stand firm and help you become a better person through all the tuff times.