The Bible verse that often comes to mind at this season at Yale is Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you…”.
In the course of a day packed full with meetings, classes and events, I sometimes feel like I’m reaching my limit of energy or attention; that the water is slowly rising – to my chest, to my neck, and soon I’ll be under. But when I have a quiet moment to reflect, I realize that a lot of the pressure I’m feeling is self-generated. I have an embedded idea about what “doing a good job” or “being a good friend” or even “being a good person” is that comes from something I was raised with or some deeper insecurity that tells me “more is always better.”
I need to slow down, take my emotional temperature and then let go of the extra things in my schedule that are about proving my worth to myself or others. God says: you are worthy as you are. The waves can rise, but it is my fear that threatens to overwhelm me.