overwhelm

I’m learning a lot about regulating my nervous system and recovering from stress.

Yesterday, we had an emergency during which I literally lost my mind.

Prior, Bean, our fur baby, and I were enjoying a lovely spring morning, popping in and out, me to work and her to chew sticks and sniff the air. Walking back inside, I noticed the azaleas I’d recently purchased had fallen off the porch. As I got closer, what I saw immediately raised concern. The plant was lying on the ground, out of the pot, leaves, branches, and buds gone, nothing left but a stump of roots.

I ran into the house to Google and discovered this plant is highly toxic to dogs.

Not knowing how much she’d eaten or how long it had been in her system, I felt sick to my stomach and lightheaded.

“I’m taking her to the vet,” I told my husband, rushing to get Bean leashed and out the door.

I called her doctor while driving, a bit fast and reckless, fearing she might die before I got there. It didn’t help that our AC is broken, it was above 90 degrees, and our pup showed signs of distress, likely related to the heat.

Praise God, she’s okay. Now, 24 hours later, she’s doing well. They purged her stomach and found nothing but yard debris, no trace of azaleas, and sent us home with medicine to soothe her upset stomach.

Needless to say, I wasn’t the only one shaken by that event.

My poor Bean, unable to understand what was happening and highly attuned to my dysregulated emotions, was terrified, whisked into the car, handed off to strangers, rushed to the back, given medicine that made her throw up, and a shot of fluids, all without mom nearby.

Once home, she spent the rest of the day and evening snuggled close to me, her source of comfort and security. She slept between my husband and me all night, and this morning, retreated under the bed, her safe space, until shortly before nine, well beyond when she’s normally up and asking to go out.

After some research, I learned her behavior was her way of recalibrating after stress, because her nervous system needed time to recover.

And I wondered…

How often do I do that?

How often do I pause to recognize the mental and emotional toll something created and intentionally allow myself to recover, whether that’s reading, doing something creative, or, most importantly, drawing near to Christ?

He is my safe place, my strong tower, and my greatest source of peace.

Scripture reminds us, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge” (Psalm 18:2).

I know this intellectually, so why am I often so quick to push through stress and anxiety?

Actually, I know the reason.

Somewhere along the line, I believed the lie that productivity matters more than the health of my soul and that ignoring intense emotions will make them go away.

But as Faith Over Fear guest and therapist Kristin Faith Evans shared in Tuesday’s podcast episode, stress builds, and if it’s not processed, it can begin to rewire our brains, to our detriment.

Looking back on one of the most painful and unsettling times in my adult life, when I developed debilitating insomnia, I can see how my failure to pause, breathe, and recalibrate only compounded my overwhelm.

I kept pushing forward, thinking that was strength, when what I needed was restoration.

Granted, I don’t have time to take a tropical vacation every time I get stuck in traffic, receive an unexpected deadline, or face a problem.

But I can pause and breathe, intentionally turning my attention to the Lord and making space for His peace to steady my heart.

How do you normally decompress from difficult situations?

How might regularly practicing calming techniques, especially when something feels destabilizing, help increase your peace and protect your focus?

If you’re interested in some quick and easy calming exercises you can practice when stress begins to climb, whether you’re driving in rush hour traffic, in the middle of a work meeting, or wanting a reset at the end of an overwhelming day, make sure to check out my cohost Carol’s conversation with therapist Kristin Faith Evans in the Faith Over Fear podcast episode titled “Managing Anxiety with Christ and Practical Tools”

And may you sense God’s calming presence the next time anxiety hits.

When God Seems Silent: How to Trust He's Still Near – Faith Over Fear

When God seems silent, especially during painful or frightening seasons, we might wonder if He's distant, disappointed in us or simply doesn't care. And when anxiety fills our minds with worst-case scenarios, sensing His presence can feel even more difficult. In this episode of Faith Over Fear, author and speaker Judy Dunagan shares how God met her during a season of intense fear and reminded her of His constant presence and care. Judy and Jennifer also discuss practical ways to quiet anxious thoughts, recognize God's presence and continue seeking Him when He seems silent. Discover how Scripture, worship and honest prayer can help you remain confident in God's love, even when you can't see or hear Him at work. Want to help shape the future of the show? Join Jennifer's volunteer content planning team! Scripture discussed: Mark 4:35–41, Mark 6:31, Psalm 91, Psalm 23, Psalm 13, Philippians 4:6–7, Hebrews 4:16, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Romans 8:26–27, Romans 8:34, Hebrews 13:5 Resource referenced: The Loudest Roar: Living in the Unshakable Victory of Christ Catch Jennifer's previous conversation with Judy in the episode titled, "Living Victoriously in Seasons of Overwhelm" Find Judy Dunagan: On her website (Scroll down on her homepage to download her free prayer guide.) Instagram Facebook Amazon Find Jennifer Slattery: On her website Instagram Facebook Amazon Subscribe to her free newsletter Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

(Proofread by Aneah Epshteyn)

While preparing to present to a women’s group on discipleship, I couldn’t shake the feeling that some of the ladies in attendance had landed in a state of overwhelm. Reflecting upon how my message might hit them, I thought of how I felt during what I’ve since termed as my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year (and a half). In that season, I frequently felt conflicted between all the “I should” filling my brain and weighing down my heart, and God’s gentle Spirit calling me to find shelter in Himself.

In faith communities, we hear a lot about serving Jesus, and rightly so. That is why we’re here, and He is worthy of whole life worship. But how does this apply when we begin to feel crushed by the weight of our circumstances?

In those seasons, God might ask us to persevere with the grit and strength only He can provide. This was the example the apostle Paul set. When beaten and left for dead, he got up and resumed his mission. While imprisoned, he wrote letters to the church that became sacred pages in our Bible. Yet, I’m also reminded of the night when he and his ministry partner, Silas, cried out to God in weakness and desperation.

Granted, this is how I read the story as I consider the circumstances and his humanity. Acts 16 tells us about a time when Paul miraculously freed a demonized slave, whose previous “divination” earned considerable money for her masters. As you can imagine, her owners weren’t pleased to lose their income source. Angered, they dragged Paul and Silas into the marketplace and before the magistrates who beat the men with rods.

Following, we read:

After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks (Acts 16:23-24, NIV).

First, notice, these men landed in prison because of their obedience. For those of us in a western context where cultural notions of success and prosperity have seeped into the church, it’s important to remember that hardship comes to the faithful and unfaithful alike. Difficulties doesn’t mean we’ve “lost God’s favor” anymore than blessings mean we’ve gained it. The Bible tells us that all who believe in Christ have been “lavished” with “grace upon grace” and “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 1:8, John 1:16, Eph. 1:3).

In each season, the most challenging or joyous, God’s greatest desire is that we turn to Him, listen for His guidance, and follow however He leads. For some, that might mean serving Him in our pain. The Lord might call others to demonstrate what it looks like to lean hard on the One who remains with us in our suffering and upholds our weary and broken souls with His mighty right hand.

This was the God Paul and Silas revealed in Acts 16—not through their eloquent words, but rather their anguish. Or more accurately, through how they responded in their anguish.

In verse 25, we read:

²⁵About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them (NIV).

To understand their impact, we must first grasp the reality of their situation. This “prison” was nothing like our climate controlled environments with beds and three meals a day. The authorities placed Paul and Silas, who’d been “severely flogged” in stocks, in the deepest, darkest section of a maritime dungeon—a place prisoners were often left to die.

How did they respond? By crying out to God. I believe their singing came from their need to connect, deeply, with the heart of Christ and to receive His strength in their time of extreme weakness.

They sought the One greater than their circumstances.

What if our world is most impacted not by “superhero” Christians who loudly proclaim “superhero” faith but rather weak and needy people, like you and I, who lean hard on a an their all-powerful God? Like Paul and Silas did when they landed in an earthly “hell.”

In their moment of overwhelm, they turned to, and depended upon, the Lord, and in doing so, they brought light and life into a place that quite literally smelled like death.

If you’re familiar with this event, you might remember how God responded. He caused a violent earthquake to shake the prison’s foundations, burst open the doors, and shattered the prisoners’ chains. This resulted in salvation for the prison guard and his family, and likely many of those previously bound as well.

Here’s my point: If all you can do, in your current season, is to cry out and cling to God, that is enough. Your very dependence on Him in your time of overwhelm loudly proclaims the gospel and the tender, ever-present love of Christ.

I’ll end with the question I left the sweet women in Louisiana: How are you pursuing God in your current season?

What is He asking you to do?

Will you trust Him to lead, whether that means persevering through the wilderness, trudging up a steep incline, or resting in His presence?

If you’re comfortable sharing, let us know in the comments so that others might gain encouragement from your journey.

Loved, chosen, & empowered

Increasing Peace in Stressful Moments

When God Seems Silent: How to Trust He's Still Near – Faith Over Fear

Seasons of overwhelm: When all you can do is cling to Jesus

When God Seems Silent: How to Trust He's Still Near – Faith Over Fear