God please! ...You’re overwhelming me!

A good friend of mine Lydia, once told me about a series of encounters she had that made her go: “God please you’re overwhelming me.” And even though she couldn’t really describe her feelings at that point, or what made her so overwhelmed, I immediately understood what she was saying.

You see, being overwhelmed by God can be… well, very overwhelming and there isn’t any better way to explain this, so I’ll just give personal examples and hope that you somehow catch on.

You’re driving to work and listening to a worship medley of Sinach, Eben and Israel Haughton; and then suddenly, you burst into tongues, you’re embarrassed, you can’t stop; you desperately hope that motorists in the other lanes can’t see what’s happening to you. You can’t stop, you keep communicating in a language that even you can’t understand, but oh! You know that you’re communicating with something, connecting with heaven – Spirit to Spirit. As if that isn’t enough, you suddenly burst into tears, because just when you think the Spirit of God has peaked in you, He takes it a notch higher. Example number 1 of being overwhelmed by God.

You’ve been an absolutely obnoxious, totally pompous little fart, about something, anything in fact. You’re going through life like this is your show, like there isn’t a higher power connecting all the dots and opening unseen doors. You think you have your shit all together. And then, you get to a door, that nothing or no one can open, you get to a crossroad that knocks you clean off your high horse, you can’t even pray, heck, you’re too ashamed to… and then, mercy, grace, favour; a deluge of it. Totally unmerited. Doors start to open, miracles start to happen to you, yes you pompous you! You stand there, feeling ashamed, foolish, undeserving, humbled, loved beyond belief. Because WHILE we’re being foolish and proud, and ignorant and blind, God is loving us, steadying us, directing us and just lavishing us with His Grace. I’ve been there too many times to mention. Example number 2 of being overwhelmed by God.

You have people in your life who constantly baffle you with their presence. I mean! What are they still doing there? How do they put up with your rubbish? Your incessant bullshit? Year-in-year-out? If you were them, you would be LONG gone. Like LOONNGGGG GONE! They love you beyond your grumpiness, moodiness, foulness and foolishness; filling you up with their own reserves of patience, love, counsel and wisdom. God knows you’ve abused the privilege of their presence too many times to mention and yet, they are constant sources of blessings. If this is hard to figure out, welcome to Example number 3 of being overwhelmed by God.

Being overwhelmed by God is not a very pleasant… or should I say comfortable experience; thankfully, it doesn't happen every day. Another word for it I believe is GRACE. You don’t deserve it, you don’t earn it, you just receive it. What it does is that it forces you to confront how VERY limited and one-dimensional human existence is and allows you to catch a glimpse of how truly multi-dimensional God is. Like anything you can think, say or do, God can top that a million, billion, gazillion ways. Now how’s that for being overwhelmed?