We all feel overwhelmed at times in our lives.  Life can be messy and sometimes comes at you from every direction.  It can feel as though we are being pushed and shoved, let down, until we all don’t know if we are coming or going.

I found a story which may help us get a better perspective regarding the feeling of being overwhelmed.

“Once upon a time there was a woman who had been lost in the desert for three days without water.  Just as she was about to collapse, she saw what appeared to be a lake just a few hundred yards in front of her.  ‘Could it be?  Or is it just a mirage?’ she thought to herself.”

With the last bit of strength she could muster, she staggered towards the lake and quickly learned her prayers had been answered:  it was no mirage – it was indeed a large spring-fed lake full of fresh water – more fresh water than she could ever drink in her lifetime.  Yet while she was literally dying of thirst, she couldn’t bring herself to drink the water.  She simply stood by the water’s edge and stared at it.

There was a passerby riding a camel from a nearby desert town.  He watched the woman’s bizarre behavior.  He got off his camel, walked up to the thirsty woman and asked, “Why don’t you have a drink ma’am?”

She looked up at the man with an exhausted, distraught expression.  “I am dying of thirst,”  she said, “but there is way too much water here in this lake to drink.  No matter what I do I can’t possibly finish it all.”

The passerby smiled, bent down, scooped some water up with his hands, lifted it to the woman’s mouth and said.  “Ma’am, your opportunity is right now.  As you move forward throughout the rest of your life, understand, you don’t have to drink the whole lake to quench your thirst.  You can simply take one sip.   Just one, small sip . . .and then another if you choose.  Focus only on the mouthful in front of you, and the anxiety about the rest will gradually fade.”

“Behold, we count them happy which endure.  Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord;  that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
James 5:11

The lyric is very true for the faithful child of God.  “You’ve always got a friend.”  I believe this is the lesson our Lord wanted us to understand when Peter stepped out of the ship to Jesus.  He had faith until the waves were crashing in around him.  We all can identify with Peter.

“And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.  But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.  And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water.  And He said, Come.  And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.  But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.  And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?  And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.  Then they that were in the ship came and worshiped Him, saying, Of a Truth Thou art the Son of God.”    Matthew 14:23-33

“Life has many ways of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen all at once.”      ~ Coelho

Eileen Light