Carla's Column: Overwhelmed

There are those days. 

There are those weeks. 

Actually, there are those seasons where LIFE is just overwhelming

That is a great way to describe the last few weeks for me.

So many times I have just said out loud, “God, I trust You.” 

Praying those four words reminds me that God is on the scene and I am not alone. Many things that happen are just out of our control and when you tend to struggle with control issues, it really rocks your world.

You see, I could not do anything to help my young grandson to get over croup and the flu.  So, this is where I whispered, “God, I trust You.”  And then, when my friend Carol passed away and her pastor had retired, I said again, “God, I trust You,” as I was asked to speak at her life celebration.

In the next few days, my daughter took the exam to become a registered nurse which has been her dream for years.  Even though I myself was not taking the test, I still felt the weight of it and had to remind God and myself that I trusted Him.

In Isaiah we are promised that when we go through deep waters, God is with us. And when we go through rivers of difficulty, we will not drown.  In other words, we will not be overwhelmed.

Overwhelming used as an adjective means very great in amount.  It particularly means a strong emotion.

A few years back, a woman came into my store with a heavy heart.  I prayed with her and then decided to write a note of encouragement and drop it in the mail.  It was several months before I saw her again, but when she came back into the store she thanked me for the note.

She went on to say that she had taped the card to her refrigerator and each night before going to bed she would walk by it and touch it.  Actually, she put two of her fingers to her lips and kissed them and then touched the card.

So, what was on the card that caused her to deliberately acknowledge it each night?  That was a great question because I could not remember what I had written on that note I sent to her months earlier.

I so wanted to know, but felt like it would take away from it being so personal if I could not even remember what I wrote.  Sadly, a few months later this woman who was only 45 years old died an untimely death.  Knowing that something I had written encouraged her, I went to the funeral home to pay my respects.

While there I met several family members whom she had talked to me about for years so I was able to put faces with those names. Boldly, a few days later, I asked her husband about the card I had sent his wife.  He told me it was on the refrigerator and that he would bring it to me.

When I got the card that still had the piece of tape at the top and I read it, I realized why it meant so much to her. I had simply written,

I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU OF GOD’S OVERWHELMING LOVE FOR YOU. 

She was comforted each night by those words that reminded her that God loves her dearly.

God’s love for us is overwhelming and unconditional.  He loves us completely, forgives us completely and accepts us completely.  His love is perfect because He Himself is love.  That is who He is! 

Wow!  Sometimes being overwhelmed is hard to deal with when we have so much on our plates that is beyond our control or maybe we have even taken on too much. 

So, consider this my note to you when you are overwhelmed, I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU OF GOD’S OVERWHELMING LOVE FOR YOU! 

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Carla Holtz grew up in a cozy Oklahoma town where she was part of a wonderful church and youth group providing the place for her to meet her husband, Randy of now 35 years.  A comfy person is a suitable description of Carla, as she is someone people feel they have known for a long time.  By combining humor with life experiences and the Word, she brings practical wisdom for everyday living through her writings and her opportunities to speak at women’s events. It is her goal to bring encouragement to fellow Christians while living a life that draws people to the Lord. Currently, Carla serves her church in a way which allows her to help people get connected to the body of believers and discover where they can best use their God-given gifts.  Carla and Randy have planted deep roots in their Oklahoma community where they raised their children and now have the blessing of enjoying their grandchildren.

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