Tearfund Lent Devotional Day 27

When you feel overwhelmed

‘So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.’ (Isaiah 41:10, NIV)

Five things you can do when life feels overwhelming:

1.   Nothing. You can’t do everything. So many things are beyond your control – cast them upon the God who loves you. Listen to your weariness. Make a habit of taking breaks.

2.   Unplug. Your brain is not built to handle the volume of information the modern world throws at it. Put up boundaries. Take regular time away from screens. Remove the apps you need to remove.

3.   Go deeper. Material things can only ever skim the surface of our soul. This can leave us feeling numb. Spirit dwells in the depths. Art speaks to our hallowed interiors: read poetry, listen to music (really listen), dance, sing, paint – get out of the shallows.

4.   Have fun. Joy is an act of defiance; delight is a form of resistance. Relentlessly pursue wonder. Chase after beauty. Find what makes your soul sing. Splash about in your aliveness. Say to the dark: ‘I am still luminous.’

5.   Connect. Reach out. Open up – to God, to others. Take a step towards another soul. Everything is more bearable when we decide not to bear it alone. We are made for each-otherness.

Gideon Heugh

Gideon writes for Tearfund and is a poet and environmentalist