Some Of Us Feel Overwhelmed

I haven’t blogged in a while. I took a sabbatical to read and study Christopher Cook’s book Healing What You Can’t Erase. The picture above is Andrea Mategna’s rendition of the Adoration of the Shepherds. Please note that the man in the yellow cloak appears lost in thought and sad. Maybe overwhelmed is a better description. Sadly, some of us feel overwhelmed and perhaps a bit sad today during the holidays. I guess the painter wanted us to think of Joseph when we gaze upon this person. Joseph married an unwed pregnant woman, and he was unable to find a proper place for her to give birth.

We feel pressure to be merry and joyful during the holidays, even when we don’t know how. Christopher Cook speaks of the problem that plagues us even after the holidays have passed. He writes, “Sadly, many people live distracted in front of screens for several hours each day, absorbing the trauma of a fractured, insecure, dysfunctional world receiving messaging that vies not only for their attention but also for their buy-in. This reality foreshadows a broader implication regarding our thought life, of course. When we pursue transformation in our thinking, we will live healthier lives from the inside out and be spiritually mature enough to offer solutions to a world desperate for help.”

Of course, some of us feel overwhelmed from time to time, but the apostle Paul told us how to engage with this reality. Romans 12:2 reads , “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.“