Overwhelmed by the Unknown - Trusting God in Uncharted Territory
We live in a subdivision where the kids walk to school like little ducklings like clock work in the morning and afternoons, but our daily parade has been exponentially postponed. Lunch dates, meetings, and even church have all gone virtual. The only since of weekly routine is our garbage man still coming on Monday (for now.)
For me routine, of some sort, is a lot like the outlines on a coloring pages. It doesn’t dictate the exact outcome, but helps keep everything in order. Without any semblance of routine and no outlines, we are left with a blank page with very little direction or options.
Today’s stress feels much different than most seasons of overwhelm, when there is too much going on and not enough time. Right now, it’s the very opposite. Overwhelmed with the need to be productive, to contribute to society, and “make the most” of this down time, I can easily begin to feel like I am losing a race that doesn’t exist with an arbitrary finish line.
But I have also come to know that my need for business and tied to my sense of control, something I struggle to turn over to God. As if my ability to “make things happen” or be productive is what keeps life held together in delicate balance, so when I can’t DO and I have to truly RELY, I am forced into an uncomfortable place. So, needless to say the overwhelming sense of helplessness during a worldwide pandemic is natural but really hard. But this isn’t anything that isn’t covered in our Bible’s…
When the Israelites wandered in the desert they found themselves in a really difficult place without provision and they were becoming desperate. They questioned God and yelled at their leaders, but God still showed up. He sent manna (food falling from sky) each day. They were told not to hoard it, but to eat what they needed and have the faith that it would continue to come.
“So the people of Israel did as they were told.Some gathered a lot, some only a little. But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.”
The Israelites would have rather gone back to being enslaved and persecuted than have to sit in the uncomfortableness of trusting God for provision. Sound familiar? It’s true though, what is familiar is always less scary than the unknown. It’s easier to keep going about life like nothing is happening because living in familiarity comfortable, but just like for the Israelites, doing what is familiar can actual be more dangerous than the unknown.
Obedience and trust will only get harder and harder as our blank pages seem to grow in number. Everything we know is being delayed, canceled, or left in limbo. It’s natural to want to fill up your pages and days in ways that simply bring you joy or pass the time. But I urge you to seek God and ask Him to meet you on the blank page of your calendar.
They did what they were told,
they had enough,
& was exactly what they needed.
Don’t be scared to ask God to show up and deliver His manna. Don’t shy away from allowing God into the depths of your heart, or digging deep into His word for comfort and affirmation. Obedience and trust in God always positions us in the perfect place to receive exactly what we need.
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Prayer
Heavenly Father, I come to you feeling overwhelmed by the amount of whitespace on my calendar and anxious for what is to come during this season. As I anticipate the variables of the unknown, ask you to ease spirit with a kind of peace that only you have. Lord, give me contentment and grace to navigate the next few weeks. May the way I treat people and my trust in You point people to Jesus. Thank you for providing for me everyday and giving me just what I need. I am forever grateful. - AMEN"
oxox,
Kendall Mariah