I saw a post this week from the Life on Purpose Movement that went something like this. “I am sorry that I didn’t hear about that world event. It’s just that out ancestors only knew about what happened in their village, and that’s all I can handle….”
I’ve really been struggling with the overload of “stuff” that comes across my daily “radar”, whether it comes from my own choice to super saturate my mind and moments with social media, or from what others are facing or hearing and bringing into my space. I have found myself feeling smothered with sadness and in that, wondering why God isn’t showing up in His big powerful self and taking care of all of the trauma and drama around me.
I think my first sense of feeling over loaded came soon after Abby went to heaven. All of a sudden people from all over the world showed up in my corner, bringing with them a barrage of people I suddenly had things in common with. I did not seek this out, and while I at first made every attempt to connect with each suggestion brought to me, I finally came to the above conclusion. I can only handle the space in my own village. While God created us to bear each other’s burdens, He did not create us for the heavy over saturation of sadness and grief causing a severe imbalance that even the the most connected Christian is not meant to carry.
I have continued to seek God’s face about the why behind this season of Him seeming quiet. While, He is our daily provision for sure, I’ve not recently seen the perceived bigger ways He has shown up in our pasts. Loved ones close to us are facing dreaded diagnosis scares, broken marriages, mental health issues and more. Christians are not in any better places that those with no open faith, and some I love have walked away from faith and a relationship with Jesus completely. Church is no longer a place of healing and warmth.
So where exactly is our Creator, Father and true Lover of our souls?
The message God has sent in this interim space has had similar themes.
Stay connected to the vine….
Abide in Me…
I see each of your tears….
Be Still And Know….
What does it mean to Be Still?
Being still is about being at rest.
It is knowing that our biggest questions have answers even if we don’t see them and that our Father has big enough shoulders to capably handle the difficult questions that don’t have obvious answers or the ones we ask for. It is the awareness of God’s goodness even when life is hard and not turning out as we wish or hope. It is taking our worries, anxiety, and fear and handing them to Jesus then embracing his gift of rest.