“What’s up for your week?” I asked. My friend shook her head.     “My schedule is packed to the gills,” she said with a sigh. “I’ll be lucky to have any time to myself.”

     Sometimes “busy” gets to be more than we can handle, and we might feel as if we’re heading to a place we don’t want to be. I call that place the “Land of Overwhelm.” No one wants to visit there. But what can we do to keep from heading to that disastrous place?  

     The following five steps have helped me, and I hope they will be helpful to you, too, if you feel overwhelmed:    
1)First, what makes you feel overwhelmed? Name it.        
2)Do you have control over the situation? Yes or No.  (If not, we'll touch on that later.)     
3)Make a list. What do you need to do right away, or today? List these items in order of importance.      
(Note: Are your prioritized items ones you are expected to do, or are they self-imposed? If self-imposed, can they be saved for later?)    
4)Start with the most important item and work your way down the list. Check off each item after you’ve completed it.    
5)Be kind to yourself. You can only accomplish so much in one day. Take breaks to do something you enjoy, diverting your attention away from work.   
   
     The five steps listed above are “self-help” steps. When we feel stressed, though, you may have noticed, as I have, that we tend to look within ourselves for answers.  But wait! Let’s not be alone! Are there friends or family who can help? If so, they may or may not have the answers we need, but they can provide support.   

     In seeking help, let us not overlook calling upon the Master of Creation. God’s Word—the Bible—provides instruction for our lives. The Author and Creator of your life and mine wants to enter into a relationship with you and with me. We were brought to this earth for a reason. But because of wickedness and sin, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to the cross to save us from sin.

     If we believe in Him, He dwells within us. And when we believe, we learn to trust. (If you look up “trust” in the Bible, you will come across a multitude of scriptures about the importance of trusting in God.

     The Bible also shows that Jesus took “breaks.” He made time to get away from the crowds to rest and pray. This self-care enabled Him to do the work He needed to do.   
  
     Prayer is another key element in trusting God. When we trust Him, we ascertain that we can communicate with Him through prayer.   
 
     We can take steps (such as the numbered items above) to avoid the road to “overwhelm.” However, foremost in my experience, before resorting to “self-help” measures, I have found it is best to seek God’s help through faith and prayer.

     When there are things we cannot control, they are literally out of our hands. In such times, through faith and prayer we can ask God to help us by placing these worries into His Almighty hands.     
 
     God cares about you, and He cares about me. With the help and guidance of the One who knows all, we can avoid traveling to the “Land of Overwhelm.” Instead, we can look forward as we step into the "Land of Hope and Faith." 
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     If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, it only takes a simple “Yes” to do so. The God of creation loves you more than you will ever know!
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“For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com  
  

 In a hurry to finish shopping before leaving on a trip, I scanned items in my shopping cart at the self-service checkout. Before I could complete the transaction, the machine malfunctioned.
 
Oh, great. I don’t need this right now.

Then, a message appeared on the screen: “Help is on the way.”

Good. Someone would come to my rescue. But no one came. Impatient, I stepped over to the Customer Service counter, but as I did so, a store associate approached. She greeted me with a smile, typed a code into the machine, and, voila, my issue was resolved. I was thankful for her help and made it home in time to leave on our trip.   

Help is on the way.  If God responded to my concerns with a text message or note on my computer, I imagine him typing a message like this. But, of course, electronic technology isn't required for God to communicate with us—or us with Him. He is only a prayer away—and our hearts become the "email" receptacle for answers to prayer.   

Presently, much help is needed in the state where I live, for a rapidly spreading wildfire has put mountain communities in great danger. Some residents have been forced to evacuate. Hundreds of  firefighters are risking their health and lives to do all they can to keep the fire from destroying homes and structures.    

In times of great need, people often come together to support one another. But, in disastrous situations, some may ask,  “How could God allow this to happen?" The same question could be asked about other ills of the world that make us fearful, anxious, or angry, such as poverty, war, drugs, crime, or terrorism.       

The God of Creation, who made the universe and everything in it, never intended for our world to become a place of chaos, devastation, or suffering. Unfortunately, many of the ills that have taken place throughout history have been tied to human undertaking and sin. There are other things that happen for which we do no have answers. However, for the believer, trust is place in the One who is in charge of creation.      
 
Despite the ills of the world, we have a God who is larger than any problem or disaster we face. No matter what happens, the Bible tells us that God promises never to leave us or forsake us. 
 
1 Corinthians 12 shows we are part of the body of Christ. “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”

As God’s people, as the body of Christ, we act together as one to lift our hands in service to help others in times of need. God comes to the rescue, for through His guidance, He helps us navigate the challenges set before us.

Indeed, help is on the way!

Whether we are dealing with something as small as an issue in a checkout line, or whether we are confronted by the devastation of wildfires or other natural disasters, we may feel our faith is being tested. But God's Word tells us not to fear and to trust Him. Having this faith, we are assured that whatever happens, He will always be with us and He comes to our rescue. His  guidance is just a prayer away.  
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 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” – Psalm 46:1
“The Lord is my helper.” – Hebrews 13:6
“For the Lord God helps me.” – Isaiah 50:7
“My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” – Psalm 121:2
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10

Photo: N. Johnson  - Wildfire close to where we traveled (following the delay at the supermarket).