No Such Thing As Whelmed

A few weeks ago I had an opportunity to be completely and totally overwhelmed by a task put before me. I was asked to share my testimony at our Women's Retreat of how God rescued me from a pit I had deliberately jumped into.

The word "overwhelm" has been on my mind lately, because there is no middle ground. You can be underwhelmed, which is disappointed and left with a sense of wanting. Or you can be overwhelmed. I looked up the word "whelm" to see what it means to just be whelmed. It doesn't exist.

The definition of "overwhelm" describes exactly where I want to spend the rest of my days:
1. to overpower the thoughts, emotions, or senses of
2. to overcome with irresistible force
3. to overcome, as with a profusion or concentration of something
4. to cover over or bury completely
5. to weigh or rest upon overpoweringly

I was overwhelmed, initially, by the thought of sharing my testimony because I was afraid of the fall out. What if people only focused on the "before" side of the my story, who I was before I let the Lord in to my life? I was overwhelmed by fear and doubt. Midway through our opening session, singing Salt and Light, I was completely overwhelmed by God. I had a chance to point ladies towards His grace, mercy, and redeeming love. Now that is definitely an opportunity to be overwhelmed. I made it my goal to not leave His presence, to not allow the enemy to steal this joy that was filling my soul.

I was overpowered by His Holy Spirit.
I was overcome with the irresistable force of His will for me.
I was overcome by a concentration of the power that Christ strengthened me with.
I was buried completely in the shadow of His wings.
The very Presence of God rested upon me as I spoke the truth of WHO HE IS.

Overwhelmed. It is where God wants us to live every day. Overpowered, overcome, buried completely in Him.

Do not make the mistake in settling for simply being "whelmed" in your life with Christ. It doesn't exist. It just doesn't exist.