I remember my first round of chemo nine months ago. And actually, all three rounds, 21 days total, had the same effect. Each daily dose seemed to fill up my body a bit more. It felt just like filling a jug with water, until after day seven, it seemed I was quite “over filled,” and the nausea set in. Interestingly, my last chemo was five months ago and yet the results continue to work through my body. I just lost my ten fingernails and the ten toenails are not far behind. It’s a very minor thing and hardly worth mentioning except as related to the cumulative effect of troubles. Little things, repeated over and over and added to others have a cumulative effect of wearing on our body and soul. (As a celebrative side note, the steroids have jump started my appetite and given me a little more energy. I think my Failure to thrive diagnosis will go away in 2-3 months. After three months of living on 700-1000 calories a day and near continual pain, it is good to feel good even if temporary! The diabetes and insulin routine has returned with the steroids but that is likely temporary. It reminds me how God is ALWAYS good, but oh how we love to sing His praises when prayers are answered with his restoration and healing!)

I suspect most ongoing troubles you face have a similar tendency to make you feel more and more filled up until you are sure you cannot take anymore: an irritating coworker, a family or other relationship conflict, constant struggles with finances, the vain pursuit of happiness in worldly things. Even relatively small troubles seem to have power to diminish comparatively large blessings in your life. Things easily get out of perspective. I know. I’ve been there too.

Yet we are well to remind ourselves that the Lord’s compassions never fail. They are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23) He IS good and everlasting (Psalm 100:4) and His goodness in us is much stronger than the troubles that beset us. And like the troubles that seem to fill us up more and more until we feel we can barely swallow, God responds with
His practical love. come to me. trust me in this. Rely, I can handle it. Get some sleep and rest in Me for awhile.

Are you filled up and fed up with troubles today to the point that you can’t take anything else in? Find that quiet place with God and pour them out before Him as an offering of trust, and be filled with His peace that surpasses all understanding.

“Come to me all of you who are weary, and I will give you rest.” – Jesus, Matthew 11:28