Overcome Me!

Last night I was boiling fresh from a Pennsylvania farm corn on the cob. I had set the timer and then moved on with dinner prep, which also inevitably included breaking up a toddler WWE tournament. Sigh. Right in the middle of one of their matches, I heard this sound in the back of my mind. It took a couple moments for the sound to register in my brain as BOILING water BOILING over. Sizzling. Splashing. Lid rattling. Explosion ready to happen. I sprinted to the stove to turn down the burner, and tipped the lid to let some air in…ahhhh. All was well.

If only dealing with the pressures of life were that easy. I feel sick to my stomach thinking about it. The pressures of life. Ick. They make me feel on the verge of blowing the lid off my mental boiling pot at any minute.

Let’s just start with emails. “Are you going to be joining such-and-such group in the Fall? Please respond ASAP.” “Do you need child care for such-and-such group. Please sign up ASAP.” “Here are the notes for such-and-such. Please study them ASAP.” “Here is the calendar for the year for such-and-such. Please let me know if there needs to be any changes ASAP.”

Then there are the texts to reply to, the social media to keep up with, the (occasional) voicemails to respond to, the thank you notes to write, the birthday cards to send, the person to reach out to, the treadmill to walk on, the weeds to pull, the walls to paint, the blinds to put up, the car that needs to be fixed, the bathrooms that need to be cleaned, the dirty AND clean laundry all over my bed that needs to be dealt with, the size 24 month clothes in my son’s drawer that need to be given away because he’s wearing size 3T clothes that I pull out of a tub every day! And on, and on, and on, and on….

I know you feel me. I have so much to do on a moment-by-moment basis, and what do I almost always end up doing instead? Watch TV. Scroll through Instagram. Swipe through Twitter. Check my email- again. See what’s going on in the Facebook world. Dumb FaceBook that we all love to hate, but can’t seem to know what to do with.  Sigh. Huff. Puff. Dangerously close to blowing my house down with the pressure building inside me.

All this for what? To lay my head down at night and desperately try to shut out the day- all I didn’t get done, and all I have to do? With tears in my eyes, and a mind that can’t take it anymore, I am saying it’s time to be done.

Jesus says, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” “Be still.” “I lead you beside quiet waters.” “I restore your soul.” “When you are weak, then I am strong.” “My peace I leave with you, my peace I give.” “Quit striving, and know that I am God.”

The Spirit comes when I am still. Quiet. When I put the kids down for a nap, and shuck the corn outside in the fresh air and sunshine -no music, no Netflix. Stillness. When I read a book written by a Godly woman- wisdom for my soul. When I cook with fresh herbs from my neighbor’s garden, and reflect on such sweet gifts given to me. When I take the kids for a walk outside and share the troubles of my heart with Jesus instead of walking on the treadmill and watching Gilmore Girls. When I listen to worship music while driving in the car and soak in the beauty of the mountains that surround me.  When I begin to experience the Spirit’s presence in new ways, because I’m still enough to notice. To hear. To listen. When I read the Scriptures and experience peace. When I work on memorizing a verse. That's when the Spirit pours out.

He's beckoning me. The stillness, the quiet, the rest for my soul. I have to fight for it. I have to say no to distractions. I have to be disciplined. Ugh, the D word. But I WANT it. I WANT HIM. I need the quiet. I need Jesus. I need the Spirit.

“Holy Spirit you are welcome here. Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere. Your glory God is what my heart longs for. Where my heart becomes free. To be overcome by your PRESENCE, Lord.” (Kari Jobe)

Jesus, overcome me by your presence.