“O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.” Psalm 61:1-3 NIV
Sometimes life comes at us like a tsunami wave. In spite of all our time-saving devices and organization applications, the demands on our time, money, and energy from family, friends, jobs, school, church, and community can leave us feeling wrecked and drowning in need - the needs of those around us and our own.
We want to be grateful, but our burdens are distracting. We long to prioritize, but we end up stuck pondering which fire to put out first. We are told we need sleep, but who can get it when crying babies, sick loved ones, urgent late-night calls, or insomnia are our constant companions. Our friends might try to help, but they often have their own troubles. We do our best to keep moving forward, but feelings of inadequacy and helplessness haunt and hinder us.
In our distress, we cry out with the Psalmist, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest;" (Psalm 55:4-6) But we cannot fly away and escape when our bank account is empty, our spouse is terminally ill, or our child is living in rebellion. No vacation is going to change the reality of our circumstances. A cupcake, round of golf, or a glass of wine might distract us momentarily, but they aren't going to relieve our burdens or carry us through our times of distress.
But, there is one thing we can do when life feels overwhelming that will not only help us but will actually sustain us and keep us safe until our storm passes. We can look to Jesus, who on the cross was overwhelmed with our sins, sickness, and sorrows but then overcame and rose victorious over them for us. He is the Rock, the higher ground, to which we can run and find refuge when the tsunami of life hits.