Lately, I have been overwhelmed with information.  Whether it be researching POTS or signing 7,452 forms for the kids as they start the new school year. Or thinking about the election we have quickly approaching, or blah blah, blah blah, blah blah (you can insert your own areas where you are preoccupied here as my list could go on for some time).  Let’s just say my brain needs to take a deep breath and chill out.  POTS makes it difficult to process simple information.  It doesn’t take much to completely overwhelm my autonomic system and suddenly my body goes into survival mode.  Even though my mind completely knows I am not in imminent danger, my body refuses to listen.  There is a real disconnect between my mind and my body and ultimately it’s one of the bigger challenges POTS patients face.  We lose control of how our body is going to react at any moment, and anything small or large can trigger it.

But, I am guessing that I am not the only one overwhelmed at the moment.  I would bet many reading this are overwhelmed with “life”.   Maybe your circumstances are not turning out like you had hoped or you have received some devastating news that you cannot even fathom processing on your own. Maybe your daily life is stressing you out and you are finding yourself slowly losing hope.  We all face trials by faith and circumstances that are beyond our control. It is easy in those moments to live in despair and chaos instead of changing our focus from the circumstance to our Savior.

I personally tend to over think everything and worry.  Some of you may just slowly shut down.  Whatever your coping mechanism may be, I want to tell you today…God has everything under control.  Even when everything appears contrary to His sovereign reign, He knows every facet of your life.

“Long before He laid down the earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love.  Long, long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure He took in planning this!)  He wanted us to enter into the celebration of His lavish gift giving by the hand of His beloved Son.” Ephesians 4-6

Even before He laid the foundations of the earth, YOU were on His mind!  He had already chosen that WE would be the focus of His love, made whole and holy by His love, and He took great pleasure in planning it all out.  He desires for us to enter into the celebration of His lavish gift giving through Jesus!  When was the last time you entered into celebration with Jesus Christ?  Have we become so consumed with our day to day activities or our circumstances that we have forgotten the foundation on which our faith must stand?  Have we lost that zeal and joy we once had when thinking of Christ Jesus?  May it never be so!   Change your perspective!  Don’t allow negativity to dwell within your heart so that you miss the bigger picture.  You are the focus of His love!  There is nothing that will come your way that He will not walk you through.

So, I am about to spoil the ending….No matter what we experience in our lifetime…WAIT FOR IT… everything is going to be ok.  Things may not turn out as we desired.  We may face heartbreak and severe trials on this earth, but if  we are rooted in Christ Jesus, He promises a glorious ending.  This doesn’t mean life will be easy because we have Christ. It simply means, we walk with the One who has created all things, knows all things, and one day we will see with eyes wide open what we cannot yet see or understand.

“He thought of everything, providing for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making.  He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in Him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.  It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.  Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone” Ephesians 1:8-12

If we can grasp even a portion of the power these scriptures hold, we will see that in whatever circumstance we face, His desire is for us to live victorious lives.  When you are in the midst of the storm, and you find Him, that is the moment when you find heaven on earth.  Not because your situation has changed, but because He is walking with you in the midst of your circumstance.  When that happens, He brings a peace into your heart that is beyond human understanding.

We need to stop being spiritual babies expecting life to be perfect because we are Christians, and start finding Him into the midst of our storms.  I can say with confidence, that although I would love for my circumstance to change, I am finding Jesus in the messy parts of life.  It isn’t a pretty background, but what is happening on life’s stage is Him giving me more than I could ever dream of asking.  He has given me a divine gift that we all have access to…Himself.  I believe this season has purpose, and He will keep His promises.  Trust His extravagant love!  Embrace the hope that He offers, and you may find that like me, there is joy amongst the pain.  And beauty amongst the ashes.  Your story is not finished!  Don’t give up!