God My Rock - Held in Grief by the God of Comfort

“When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:2, NKJV)

It was a week of back-to-back-to-back difficulty. First came a scary medical issue for one child that had me calling 9-1-1 and then chasing down doctor appointments and answers. As I was figuring my way through that, I got results from school testing for another child that felt like a gut punch and sent me spiraling into a dark cloud of what-nows and what-ifs.

When Saturday rolled around, I decided we needed a fun day out. I was getting ready in my room when my typically calm twelve-year-old yelled for me from the other end of the house. Running to the laundry room, I found him trying to hold back water spewing from a busted PVC pipe that was already flooding the laundry room floor and flowing into the kitchen. I wasted precious minutes trying to remember how to turn off the water, and finally ran out to the well shed, found the breaker, and shut it off. Needless to say, our Saturday outing was canceled as we mopped up water, and I looked up the number for an on-call plumber.

The tipping point came that evening when my phone pinged with a troublesome text. I was overwhelmed in every way. Hot tears spilled down my cheeks at the week’s stresses, and I wondered where I could go to clock out of all this. I couldn’t run away, of course, but I sure wanted to run to my freezer stash of chocolate. Or to Netflix to binge watch for the rest of the weekend. I wanted to phone a friend to download all my problems and get some commiseration.

While our default is often to run away from our stresses, or run to something to allay them, God wants us to take our burdens to him.

David, who had experienced crushing pressure as a young shepherd facing lions and bears with a sling and staff, as a young man running for his life from King Saul, and as a king dealing with unwarranted insurrection from his son, says in Psalm 61:2, “When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

Loss brings us to a place of overwhelm. The emotions, the layers of loss, and the massive change are heavy. We’re deluged with paperwork, bewildered with lost identities, and swamped with new responsibilities. Often, we’re desperately trying to navigate one stressful situation when we’re sideswiped by another.

Instead of running from the overwhelm, God wants us to run to him. When our world is rocked, he is the Rock who never changes and never moves. When we try to handle everything on our own or console ourselves with Netflix and chocolate, we’ll stay in a state of turmoil. We can unburden our heart when we take our overloading challenges to God.

When I suddenly became a single mom of seven also in fresh grief, I began to pray a simple prayer each morning as I faced a too-long to-do list and tasks that felt too hard: Lord, order my steps. I asked God to bring order to all that needed tending that day, and I trusted him with what I couldn’t get to. It’s a prayer I still pray to unburden my overwhelmed heart.

A Prayer to God My Rock

Lord, I’m overwhelmed by everything I’m facing. This is too much for me, and I can’t see my way through. I am weary and battle worn. Take each stress and give me your strength. Keep me tethered to you, my Rock. Order my steps today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Journaling Prompt

Write out the things that feel too hard, causing stress, and then unburden your heart as you ask God to order your steps.