Overwhelmed! Do you ever feel that way? I don’t mean overwhelmed in a bad way. I mean this in a completely positive way where we are just in awe of something. Well, I had one of those moments today (1/29/25). Let me build up to my moment.
When I first started driving school bus, I had one of those moments at the end of the day when we were picking kids up from the school. To many, it would all look like organized chaos with the “organized” part being questioned. However, it struck me as a thing of beauty. Watching all the buses lining up, knowing exactly where they were supposed to be was like watching a symphony. The buses were organized, and veteran drivers knew just what to do if another bus was delayed. When it was time to release the bus, everything flowed like a bunch of synchronized swimmers. And getting all these kids on the right bus to go home – my mind was blown when I saw it I action for the first time.
Speaking of synchronized swimmers, that’s another thing that overwhelms me. If I get from one side of the pool to the other without drowning, I think I did a remarkable job. To “dance” underwater to choreographed maneuvers is beyond my comprehension. There’s no way to mark your spot in the water. How do they do that?!? How do they keep from getting disoriented?
Traffic is another one that stuns me. There are approximately 291.1 million vehicles on the road every day.1 In a single day, about 16,248 accidents occur that require a police report.2 That’s only .01% of all vehicles that experience an accident. 99.99% keep on driving. REMARKABLE!!!
Today, I was overwhelmed thinking about the infrastructure of just our community. Factories and businesses operate independently of each other yet dependent. Product is created that another business needs. Stores sell the products. Food services feed the American work. Farmers supply the food. Again, perfectly synchronized timing. And it happens every day. Like the tiny inner workings of an old clock, each cog, lever, wheel, and spring must operate smoothly. When you think of everything that could go wrong, society functions extremely well.
As I was driving, feeling overwhelmed, I was hit with an even greater moment. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was rising in the east. The sky was free of clouds. The colors were brilliant and an indescribable mixture of hues. Looking across the fields and trees, I was struck by how clean everything looked. Even though there was the busyness of the morning, there seemed to be a peaceful stillness. I know I’ve used the word a lot in this devotional but once again, I was overwhelmed thinking about how everything is perfectly balanced. All the pieces of the puzzle fit nice and orderly to create the picture we call life.
Speaking of Jesus, Colossians 1:15-17 says, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (17) And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
Things don’t just run smoothly on their own. The Lord conducts the symphony of life. Hebrews 1:1-3 reminds us, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power…”
See?!? That is an overwhelming thought! If you allow yourself to observe all things through the lens of these verses, you are going to have that same feeling I did. How could anyone dare say that there is no God? No wonder God calls this person a fool! (Psalm 14:1)
Take some time today and just soak it all in. Let the wonder of our world and the smoothness of its design cause you to worship the Designer with a renewed joy. “Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: (2) Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. (3) Say unto God, How terrible (how AWESOME) art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.” (Psalms 66:1-3)
1https://www.statista.com/statistics/859950/vehicles-in-operation-by-quarter-united-states/
2https://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal/auto-accident/car-accident-statistics/
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