Moving to the mid-south region of the U.S., August now means something very different:  shopping for school supplies and clothes/uniforms, sorting out Sunday school class promotions, completing administrative tasks in preparation for the start of a new year, meeting new teachers and coaches, moving to college dorms and other changes.  Recently my family's summer came to a screeching halt and the new academic year jolted into warped speed. 

As I listen to my friends the word "overwhelmed" is being echoed everywhere.  Being overwhelmed is actually experiencing an emotion so strongly that one feels fully immersed and drowning in it. Another way to understand this concept is to be covered , like one would wear a garment that all could see.  These metaphors are useful visual representations of what it's like to have feelings so strong that it's almost impossible to disguise them. 
               

The Bible refers to being overwhelmed by negative emotions (ex. guilt - Ps. 38:4), as well as positive feelings (ex. amazement - Mark 7:37).  Even Christ was overwhelmed with grief in the Garden of Gethsemane when it's recorded He said, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death"(Matt. 26:38).   Knowing that even Jesus experienced these emotions so deeply we can then expect to have times when it feels like we can't cast off or shake loose from being cloaked in sadness, grief, anxiety, stress, or _________(fill in the blank).
               

While driving home from school today I asked my daughter what she learned in class.  She flatly replied, "Nothing new".  Well, this may be the time of year when everyone can benefit from a review of old lessons. 

So, just as negative feelings of being overwhelmed may shroud our very souls, so can the gleaming robes of praise. 

In Isaiah 61:3, it refers to a garment of praise being substituted for a cloak of despair.  The verb preceding this, to "bestow" is a double verb used for emphasis.  The crown of beauty refers to a gleaming tiara instead of ashes.  Picture the contrast.  Imagine being clothed in tattered rags of despair with ashes of grief streaked across your forehead.  Now picture the Lord anointing you with a double portion of comfort, placing a gleaming tiara reflecting His glorious beauty on your head, and wrapping a colorful, glowing, richly ornamented robe of thankfulness about you.  It doesn't stop there - the room around you is perfumed by the oil of gladness.  What a rags-to-riches contrast!
               

Are you needing to be clothed by His grace so that His peace is evident to all those around you?  Maybe it's time for a wardrobe makeover.  By casting off the old and allowing the Holy Spirit to clothe us anew, we will reflect His glory for His glory.
 
Some final thoughts:
-If you have been experiencing overwhelming grief/sadness for more than a 6 month period and it's not lifting, you may be experiencing depression.  Seek the help of your physician if this is the case.  Also, have a complete physical with thyroid and other hormone levels checked.
-If your emotional responses to events are excessive, seek the help of your physician to rule-out the possibility of a mood disorder.
-If you feel like you need someone to confide in, you are welcome to send a message to me or one of the other team members via this website.