I thought about the word overwhelmed on a jog and wondered if “whelm” was a word. If one can be overwhelmed, then surely a person can be whelmed, right? Right!

WHELM: To turn upside down, to cover or engulf completely with usually disastrous effect. (Click to tweet)

So be careful when you say you’re overwhelmed. It means you’re beyond disaster.

Today I’m just whelmed, thank you. I once read an interview in Christianity Today with Karen Kingsbury. She said she gets 300-500 letters A WEEK from readers. It freaked me out! What would I do if I got that many letters? How would I cope? My mind raced toward hiring people and more busy work. Of accountants and business plans and taxes, oh my! Overwhelmed with a capital O.

I started this writing journey wanting my words to touch others. This turned into pursuing publication, which then morphed into selling well. Remember that old adage, “Be careful what you wish for”? Yowzers. I don’t know if I’ve thought through the implications of selling well.

I could write, “DON’T BUY MY BOOKS,” but I truly believe God has this whole thing under control. He is in control of the universe, so surely He is sovereign over sales of my books.

In the whelmed state I’m in, I poured my worries out to God on that run. The lake glistened before me as I ran past the leaping cow pasture. A whiff of honeysuckle delighted me. Dear, sweet Jesus, how did You know that scent would quell my whelms? Of course You knew. Of course.

I shared my failures with Him, cataloging them one by painstaking one. I swear I heard Him say, “Would you quit it already?” Under the blue sky, He wanted to warm me with His love, but my litany of unworthiness prevented me from feeling it. So I stopped. And steeped in His love. I realized He wanted me. Little ol‘ me. To pour my stress at His feet. To hear His voice instead of creating lists of things I thought He would like me to do. There’s a marked difference in my heart when I let Him lead the whole day through, versus me trying to lead myself in perfection. (Click to tweet)

So, Jesus, I give you my books. Take ’em. I give you my looks. Take ’em. I give you the looks of others, whether approving or disdainful. Take ’em. Do what You will. I’m whelmed. But with You at the helm, I rest. (Click to tweet)

Feeling whelmed? Find peace and joy in Jesus with Mary’s help in her book Everything.