Overwhelmed

Sometimes I get overwhelmed with the ways things are in my life right now. However, it's not a bad overwhelmed. It's a very very good overwhelmed. In the past week, I've cried 3 times from being overwhelmed with something. If you know me at all, you know that crying is pretty out of character for me. I'm not a crier. But lately, I am! 

I'm overwhelmed with my job. I LOVE my job. I actually love going in every day and seeing my residents. I love keeping up with them and helping them through everything life throws at them. Even if they can be absolutely crazy at times (ask me for stories, I have lots!), I absolutely love working with them. I'm sometimes overwhelmed with the fact that this is my job and that I love it so much. 

I'm also overwhelmed with my kids. I'm slightly obsessed with my kids at work. If you've talked to me at all in the last 5 months, you've probably heard about my kiddos. I just love them. Some of them come from rough backgrounds, but there's something special about each of them. They're smart, funny, and they have big dreams. It absolutely blows my mind sometimes that I get paid to hang out with them. I was sitting at work today playing cards with a group of them and it just kinda hit me. I'm actually getting paid to sit here and hang out with these teenagers. How awesome is that? 

I got to show a group of my older kids around Baylor last week. This was so so cool for me. They have huge dreams and I get to watch them work towards those goals and support them through each step. These kids have brought out my protective side, as well. I'll fight for them. I AM fighting for them. Try and mess with my kiddos, I dare you. No way, Jose. I like to think of myself as a genuinely nice person, but you mess with my kids and my "Momma Bear" side comes out. I sometimes think about when I finally become a mom. How am I gonna handle that?! I love my kids so much and I would do anything for them. And they aren't even my biological children! 

I'm also overwhelmed with support from my friends, family, and community. I honestly don't know how people have a job that they're passionate about when they don't have support from their friends and family. My friends and family support the work that I do. To the point where they have donated money and supplies for my kids. One of my family member's company donated a ton of backpacks and a ton of school supplies for our back to school fair. It totaled more than I ever expected. They wanted my kids to go to school with the same school supplies as everyone else. They were passionate about giving my kids what they need in order to do well in school because without education, these kids might be trapped. It's overwhelming to me that people give so much to my kids without even knowing them. This Friday, my mom and my aunt get to meet my kids. I don't know if I've ever been more excited!

More than anything, I'm easily overwhelmed by what Christ has given me in my life and everything He has done for me thus far. It's very easy for me to compare myself to others. It's something that Satan very easily uses against me. This is not a fun mindset to have. They say, "comparison is the thief of all joy," they aren't kiddin! Nor is it healthy. And when it comes down to it, it's a lack of trust in Christ. When I think about my life, though, I realize how much He has done for me. I'm getting an amazing education and learning an incredible amount, I have a job that I love, I work with kids that constantly challenge me and make me love more than I thought possible, and I have friends and family that support everything I do no matter what. 

And that is an overwhelming thought, my friends. In one of the best ways I could ever think of or imagine.