GIVE YOUR EMOTIONS A VOICE

Would you rather have something "take your breath away" or "knock the wind out of you?" Initially, neither option sounds inviting, but each represents a possible consequence brought about by vastly different circumstances in life. Simply put, depending upon how we process an experience, we will say that it was one of those moments that "take our breath away," or one of those moments that "knock the wind out of us." The vastly different experiences are part of the diametric polarity of life, but from a very practical perspective, it seems like the end result could possibly be the same; and that is an individual is left incapable of breathing and gasping for air. Of course, the impetus or genesis that gives rise to this end result is quite different. In one instance there may be something so blissfully delightful, so beautiful, so grand, so majestic, and so captivating as to inspire awe and wonderment. On the other hand, there may be something so egregious, so deplorable, so unpalatable, or so unconscionable as to incite fear or physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual paralysis. Individuals who have been navigating life for a few years would probably confess that they all have experienced both of these antithetical, yet similar, experiences. In other words, most people probably admit that, whether in a good way or bad way, they have been OVERWHELMED!

We have been OVERWHELMED by places, situations, circumstances, and even by other people. And the ironic thing about being overwhelmed is that there is never a perfect setting to become overwhelmed. There is no right place or right time. As a matter of fact, life seems to make us overwhelmed at the most inopportune times. It seems as though situations and circumstances lie in wait and throw themselves upon us when we least expect it. Some would say that Pandora's Box is opened at the worst times. Others might say Murphy's Law just has a way of manifesting. No matter how you might put it, there is never a good time to be overwhelmed by a negative experience.

Not only does life seem to pick the worst time, but to make matters even worse, life does not discriminate. No one is exempt from potentially becoming overwhelmed; and this is not an endorsement of the axiom that says "misery loves company." It just seems to be a mere fact of life. Everyone gets overwhelmed. Even Jesus Christ, the son of God, was occasionally OVERWHELMED in His humanity. Yes, He is the Son of God, the second person in the Godhead, and the theophany of God; but as the Son of man, or a human entity, He became OVERWHELMED.

Consider when Jesus stood at the tomb of his dear friend Lazarus, after having been berated by Mary and Martha for not being there to save their brother. Jesus was OVERWHELMED! Whether it was because of the love for His friend, the compassion for Mary and Martha, or the sheer grip of grief, Jesus was overwhelmed; and the Bible says, "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). Like Jesus, many of us have stood at the grave of a friend or a loved one and longed for just one more chance to hear their voice, give them a hug, or just hold their hand. Some of us have stood by the bedside as relatives made peaceful transitions to a state of being that we know nothing about, and with tears in our eyes, we were forced to embrace a moment that we dreaded and a moment when we were absolutely helpless and had no control. Some of us have even spent countless hours visiting the hospital, while praying and seeking the face of God for a miracle that would give us just a few more years, months, weeks, or even days with those whom we treasured – only to journey from the hospital to the graveyard. We have all been overwhelmed by death, whether tragic and unanticipated or expected after a stint of sickness or disease.

Death was not the only thing that caused Jesus to become overwhelmed. When He was in the garden called Gethsemane, after having eaten what we now call the "last supper" and after one of His own followers had initiated a plot to betray Him, He was OVERWHELMED. He himself declared, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful" (Matthew 26:38). The New International Version's translation of that same passage puts it this way: "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow." Jesus was overwhelmed and needed the company of His friends, but every time He came back to them, He found them asleep. Isn't it ironic – or is it – that when we are most overwhelmed, that is the time when it seems that we are least likely to find somebody to talk to us. Might it be that God wants us to turn our attention and our focus toward Him during these most trying times of life? But what do we say to God, who seems so distant from us at times like this? What do we say to God during times like this, when it does not seem to matter that the Bible says that "we have a high priest who can be touched by the feelings of our infirmities" (Hebrews 4:15)? What do we ask of God during times like this, when it does not matter that in His word, He invites us to "cast our cares" and anxieties on Him (I Peter 5:7)? How do we pray when even in the midst of fulfilling our life's purpose and destiny, we suddenly become OVERWHLEMED?

In what may have been just a brief moment, scripture suggests that Jesus – like many of us – had an "I don't want to do this anymore" kind of moment. There are times when it does not matter how powerful our ministry may be, how anointed our gifts may seem, or how purposeful our calling may appear. It may not even matter how many people we build, how many lives we impact, or how much we advance the Kingdom of God. The truth is we become OVERWHELMED and we feel like Jesus when in His humanity, He said "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me" (Matthew 26:39). What do we say to God at times like that when we are overwhelmed with it, by it, and because of it? Jesus's experience in Gethsemane is a clear indication that we can walk in ordered steps, surrounded by those who love us – or at least those whom we love – and still feel alone and overwhelmed. Sometimes life is not as much fun when we have to do it by ourselves.

Perhaps the most poignant, yet significant, time when Jesus felt OVERWHELMED in His humanity was the moment when He hung on the cross between two thieves as the immolation for mankind's fall and degradation. Having been mocked and scorned, beaten and ridiculed,...