When Life Feels Like "Too Much"
Are you feeling a little shaken up these days? Between a pandemic, maybe some crazy weather (Nashville, I’m looking at you), protests and marches...the world is definitely doing some shaking. And in between all of that, you’re still trying to live life. Holding down a job that may or may not be satisfying / secure / consistent / enjoyable. Maintaining relationships with friends and family. Keeping a clean house and feeding yourself something besides popcorn and granola.
It’s a lot. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the ups and downs and shifts in society these days. That’s why I’ve immersed myself in the Psalms over the past few months. There’s something comforting about the chaos of David’s life when my own feels like “too much”...because on the other side of that chaos, there’s comfort in knowing God.
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. -Psalm 62:1-2
As I read that, I thought about the situations that tend to rock our lives. Shake us up. And then I started thinking about storms…
One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” -Luke 8:22-25
As I thought about the meaning of those words in Psalm 62, my mind went to the storms in our own lives. God doesn’t promise to give us clear sailing from here on out. Or to remove obstacles. Or to get rid of the storms before they even begin. However, we can be assured that we will not be greatly shaken.
People will get sick or hurt. People will die. Jobs will be lost and jobs will push you to your limit. Relationships will begin and end and your heart will break a little bit each time you have to say good-bye. You might struggle with depression or anxiety or another chronic illness that tries to steal your joy. You might be part of a church that doesn’t welcome you, so you might have to leave. You might move to a new place and have trouble finding a church home. Your car might run out of gas. Your roommate might drive you crazy. Your cat might wake you up at 4:30 am every day.
Racial justice will weigh heavily on your heart. And immigration reform will take too long. Homelessness is too big of a problem and you can’t solve it in one month or one year. Children will be abused and interventions will be insufficient. You’ll fight for better treatment of minimum wage workers or at least a raise in minimum wage. Tornadoes will rip the roofs off of buildings and you’ll call friends at 5 am to find out whether or not they are okay. Your parents might fight and put you in the middle of it. You’ll want the best for everyone in your life, but feel inadequate to provide that.
And you will be shaken.
But you will not be greatly shaken. Because the one who hears your prayers will not be shaken...at all.
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. -Psalm 62:8
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A note about translations: The word that inspired this article is subtle... and I knew it might not be present in all translations. Before writing, I compared a number of translations and found that this word is present in a number of them including ASV, ESV, RSV and KJV. So while you might consult your Bible and find a different version of this verse, please know that it is present in other widely accepted translations.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Elizabeth spent the past six years doing life in Nashville, TN…from grad school to working in a pie shop to running after school programs. But then she got a little antsy. She’s currently in a season of “wandering”…exploring the people, tastes and experiences that the country has to offer. As she set out on this journey her hope was to engage with people in more authentic ways and to hike everything possible. If you're curious about where she is and what she's up to, visit sunsetsstormclouds.home.blog.