overflow.

The Lord is my shepherd

I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures

He leads me beside quiet waters

He restores my soul.

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

for HIs names sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I fear no evil, for you are with me

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies

You have anointed my head with oil

My cup overflows.

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

This period of "my cup" lately has been feeling a lot more "overwhelm" than overflow.  Tears are close, and it's been a continual struggle for me to lay down my brain and heart before Him.  Knowing that being this pregnant isn't helping...well, isn't helping. 

Feeling a hot mess as such, I darted out a venting email to a dear friend a few nights ago, spouting off all the rough spots with lots of CAPITALS and very little cohesion.  

She wrote me back lots of practical and loving advice that helped to clear my brain and remind me of some basic truths.  But then she finished with this:

He will fill the seemingly empty spots and will even 

fill them to overflowing in ways we cannot imagine.

It wasn't until she said it that I realized that was exactly what I was dwelling on...the empty spots.  Even reading that line pained me and overwhelmed my eyes with tears again.  All those aching empty spots!

How many deep empty spots can I remember.  

And yet how vividly can I testify to her reminder of His filling as TRUTH.

How many times the huge empty spot of my sacrificial and loving mom and would-be-now grandmom to my kids...how many times that spot has loomed and how MANY times He has filled it overflowing.

How many times the huge empty spots of NOT KNOWING...not knowing when or where it would come from, not knowing how or what we would do.  How many times He has filled those spots with Himself to overflowing.

How many times the dark empty spots of not understanding...not knowing how to respond or how to deal or how to shed His Light on it.  How many times His Light has eliminated all the darkness of those empty places.  Light overflowing.  

Nora : Light and Compassion.

Her words, "He will fill the seemingly empty spots and will even fill them to overflowing in ways we cannot imagine" were His promise for the other night so badly in need of being remembered.  

Many times since they have come to my mind as empty spots have appeared...He will fill the empty spots, fill them to overflowing.

But then this morning, when I was rather rudely awakened by Nora Joy again around 3 am, His Words quickly and unexpectedly filled the darkness of the room, the fogginess of my mind...Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want....

On and on the psalm played in my mind, through the still waters, the dark valleys, the comfort, and I realized the Words He was powerfully filling my heart with are the SAME.

In Him, there IS no want.  HE FILLS the empty spots, fills them to overflowing.

As He made me lie down and restored my soul (anyone else still always say restoreth?) I got to the end and whispered...

He anoints my head with oil, My cup overflows.

The very words she gave me that have been so life-breathing...He gave me again a few moments ago as He's given a million before...the boiled down TRUTH.

I shall not want, because there is He.

The dark valleys--there is no fear--because He is LIGHT, and even the darkness is not darkness to Him (Psalm 139:12).  

And my cup?  He overflows, even in ways that I cannot today imagine.

May we trust Him.