Drawing Near to God When Life Is Overwhelming
Winter sunlight sings her silver song, and I throw on the heavy parka, make the long walk through biting air, and pour warm water into silver bowls. The beagles lap it up while I stare at the glowing firmament and think about drawing near to God amid the chaos of a very full life.
Drawing Near to God
The old hen squawks from the coup about the egg she’s birthing in the hoary glow. I can’t help but think we’re all birthing something that hurts in this season where darkness holds out long arms into afternoon hours.
The air stings my face as I gaze heavenward and breathe, listening to the hollow sound of this one life still living, this one heart synchronizing with the terrestrial thrum of a resting earth. I could use this kind of rest.
Is this the secret for drawing near to God amid the chaos when your world grows so loud you can’t hear your own heartbeat? Step into the silence and slow the pace long enough to catch your breath?
Every day, I go to the window at dawn and watch chickadees prance across the railing of the deck.
This is sacred space, holy ground.
It’s the place where my soul finds rest. It’s the spot where I daily open the Living Word and lift the prayers that carry me through my days.
When I sit by this window, the sense that God is with me is palpable. In the quiet, I become aware of his presence in a way that’s entirely replenishing to my soul. When I think of connecting with God, I think of this quiet space by the window with the chickadees.
The Gift of Drawing Near to God in Our Sacred Spaces
I imagine you have your space, too. It might be a certain chair where you drink coffee and begin your day with the Lord, a candle-lit sanctuary where you go to pray, or the Adirondack chair in your backyard where you watch the sun sink low. You can almost feel the breath of heaven against your skin in this quiet place.
When You Need Help Finding God in the Chaos
This morning, three hours after my brief moment by the window, I find myself buried beneath a stack of kindergarten math papers as I attempt to sort them by page number (and I wonder whatsoever possessed us to rip them out of the workbook in the first place).
There’s a six-year-old struggling through phonics games on the laptop beside me while concurrently eating his lunch. A ten-year-old is making requests for cinnamon toast from the living room. All the while, the little one is literally sitting on the table chewing on an unsharpened pencil.
In the midst of it all, the phone rings. It’s a recorded message from the superintendent of the school district. He’s calling to share the latest news. Due to an increasing number of Covid cases in the district, we will be extending this week of remote, at-home learning for at least another week. Great.
The instant I set down the phone, it rings again. This time it’s the kindergartener’s speech teacher seeing if now is a good time for a Google Meet speech lesson.
No, I tell him. No, it’s actually not a good time at all.
He says we can try again tomorrow. I thank him, hang up the phone, and attempt to breathe.
The Secret to Drawing Near to God Amid the Chaos
Do you feel like you’re juggling more than you could possibly handle? Does your life feel overwhelmed and way too busy? Let’s talk about finding God in the chaos.
What is the secret to drawing near to God in the chaos of our lives?
I believe we make it a regular practice to do exactly what I did on my way to tend to our animals. We pause and breathe. We remind ourselves that God is just as present in the chaos as he is in the quiet.
The more we practice this kind of mindfulness, it will become routine. As it becomes routine, we will learn how to find God in the midst of the moments when our lives feel most out of control, overwhelmed, and stressed.
We will learn to pause, breathe, and look heavenward.
You might be breaking up the tenth fight of the day between your kids. You might be drowning beneath your to-do list at work. There might be five various “emergencies” calling for your attention in this single minute.
Remind yourself of this: God is just as present in the chaos as he is in the quiet, sanctuary moment. He is just as eager to connect with you, transform you, and speak to you in the chaos as he is in the quiet.
Drawing Near to God in the Chaos Happens When You Keep Your Eyes Open
Your role is to keep your eyes and heart open to him.
Song of Solomon 4:9 reminds us what happens when we pause and glance heavenward: Every time we so much as look toward Jesus, we captivate his heart.
Song of Solomon 4:9 reminds us what happens when we pause and glance heavenward: Every time we so much as look toward Jesus, we captivate his heart. #findingGod #ravishedheart Share on XYou hold the power to captivate the heart of Jesus. All you have to do is glance in his direction.
Are you ready to find God in the chaos?
Pause. Breathe. Glance. It’s an open invitation. 
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