Feeling Overwhelmed?

Hey, there. I've been away from this for awhile, and have missed it. So here I am. I went to a women's conference last night, and wanted to share a couple of things that I came away from there with. In my crazy hectic life, I want so much and I try so hard to share God's love, His hope, and His joy with those around me. And I so often feel like I am failing miserably.

There is so much in my life that I must do, and that I can delegate to no one. Business concerns, my kids, maintaining my house, homeschooling my youngest daughter, taking care of my middle daughter with special needs, and being there for my oldest daughter with her concerns about transitioning into adult life....No one can do any, any, any of these things for me!!! And to say that I'm overwhelmed might be the understatement of the year.

And I am so very, very tired of feeling pathetic, and exhausted, and overwhelmed, and just complainy (Hey, if I want to coin a new word...well, it's my blog!) and what I got last night was this. If I get up every day, and hit the floor running trying to manage all of those things alone, trying to pour love and joy into all of the people around me, trying to build others up while I am falling apart, it's a recipe for disaster. If I don't first meet with God, and let Him fill me up, and renew my strength, and give me His love and joy to pour out to others, I'm trying to pour those things out from an empty vessel, and it just doesn't work! So, in the "paraphrased-to-beat-the-band" words of Isaiah 61:1-3, Jesus tells me that He was sent to bestow on me the oil of gladness instead of mourning, so that I can wear the garment of praise instead of despair. Wow!! (BTW, Isaiah 61 is one of the most awesome parts of Scripture...you have to read it! It also tells me that God was sent to bind up the brokenhearted, to release those who are imprisoned and to free captives....that was me! Is it you, right now? Because He came to set you free! If you want to know how, email me!)

So I need to get up in the morning, no matter how busy things are, and commit my steps to Him, so that He will make my path straight. And I have learned through many difficult years that when I least feel like praising Him is when I most need to praise Him! And somehow, through His awesomeness, when I praise Him despite how overwhelmed I may be, He restores me and renews me, as I get into His presence and just do what I was created to do, and praise Him.