Making Room for Overflow

Doubt often precedes breakthrough.

The week before I published "Overflow" I was wading through heavy doubt. A familiar frenemy- Overthinking- came knocking at my door. Foolishly, I let him in.

Overthinking kicked off his shoes, propped up his feet, and began badgering me with questions like:

• "Are you SURE you want to name the blog OVERFLOW?"

• "You said you want to create this blog to serve, but what are your intentions, REALLY?"

• "What if your grandma is the only one who reads it?"

**Sidenote- I would still write it just for you, Gram & Grandma! ❤️

Overthinking overstayed his welcome, per usual. My head was pounding by the end of his interrogation. My limbs felt like tree trunks. I was at a standstill. I wanted to hide away and make everyone forget my "little passion project."

My dad has often told me, "Alaina, over-analysis leads to paralysis." Overthinking paralyzed me. Overthinking ALMOST (dam)ned Overflow. After reflecting on my dad's wise words, I remember praying: "Jesus, I don't want to be paralyzed. I want to be mobilized!"

So, I pulled a Gideon. I asked the Lord to reassure me once more. I prayed for God to send one more messenger of "overflow" into my life. I had already designed the website and written the first post, "Invitation to Overflow,". I just needed one more nudge before pressing publish.

In a few short days, the Lord delivered my reassurance in the most personal, intentional, and unquestionable way.

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On October, 8th 2020 (a few days after I prayed for a messenger of "overflow") I attended a virtual conference for Young Adults called "Release." The speaker's name was Adam Shaw. When he shared the title of his message-"More Jars" - I just knew God was about to show up for me.

Shaw's main point was this:

"The miracle is God's responsibility, but the capacity is our responsibility."

To illustrate his point, Shaw shared the story of Elisha and the widow found in 2 Kings 4:1-7.

The story goes something like this:

A widow comes to the prophet Elisha for help. Her husband died recently, leaving behind large debts. If the woman can't make the payment, her two sons will be taken into indentured servitude.

When the woman expresses her need, Elisha simply asks: "How can I help you? What do YOU have?"

The woman responds, "I don't have anything except a jar of oil."

Elisha seems completely unbothered by her response. The way I imagine it, Elisha knows God doesn't need much to work with- just a willing and available vessel. Elisha also understands God is a huge math-geek; He LOVES multiplication! I envision Elisha delivering his next instructions with a knowing smirk and a cheerful glint in his eye.

"Go get more jars!" he commands the woman. "Borrow them from your neighbors. Don't even think about stopping at a few. Gather as many as you can. After that, go home, shut the door, and pour."

So, she does. She increases her capacity in anticipation of the miraculous. Regardless of any questions or uncertainty she has. Regardless of how people might mock or ridicule her in the process. She increases her capacity. And guess what? God comes through with the miracle.

The widow pours. God multiplies. She pours. God multiplies. She pours. God multiplies.

The oil continues to pour until they run out of jars. As long as they have capacity, God multiplies the miracle. One jar of oil becomes many.

The woman goes back to Elisha to report what God has done. Once again, he is completely unruffled. Why should he have been surprised? He knows and fully trusts in God's capabilities. He tells the widow (in essence): "Alrighty, then. Go pay off your debts and then... live on the REST."

The rest. The widow and her sons have leftovers. They have excess. They have overflow.

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I've read the story in 2 Kings 4 many times, but it CAME ALIVE to me on October 8th.

As I sat criss-cross-applesauce on my couch, I found myself identifying with the widow woman. She had reached a crossroad. If she had allowed Overthinking to stop her, she would have lost her sons. Her legacy. Her hope for a future. She chose to proceed.

Scripture doesn't tell us EXACTLY how her neighbors responded to her request for more jars, but we know some of them responded favorably. And truthfully, they're the only ones who matter in the story.

However, I wonder if some of her neighbors were skeptical. I wonder if some of them mocked her.

I wonder if some of them said things like:

"Get a load of this lady thinking God is going to do the miraculous for her."

"Who does she think she is?"

"Hmmmphh. If they'd been more responsible when her husband was alive they wouldn't be in this position."

"Will I ever get MY jar back?"

Here's the dealio. Regardless of how her neighbors responded. Regardless of any skepticism or criticism she received, the woman chose to step into the promise of a future rather than being stalled by the uncertainty of the present. And THAT is what gets recorded in Scripture. That is the lesson we are to learn from and live by. The widow woman reached a crossroads and she chose to proceed. Her miracle was on the other side.

We all face crossroads every single day. We feel a nudge to act. A nudge to send the text. To be the first to say "I'm sorry." To pray for the colleague who is sharing a sorrow. To press publish on a post we poured our heart into. But, we pause. The pause provides an opportunity for Overthinking to sidle up next to us and plant seeds of doubt in our minds. Soon we realize 10 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, a day, a week, a month, or a year has passed. And we're still standing still.

As Shaw was nearing the conclusion of his message, I made a critical decision.

Making room for Overflow will require me to evict some tenants and un-invite some guests who are limiting my capacity.

Toodle-oo, Overthinking! 👋👋

Initially, I believed this personal realization was the reassurance I'd prayed for a few days earlier. I took it as my sign. And I was satisfied. My heart was encouraged and my limbs were feeling noticeably less tree-trunk-like. I was determined to push through the doubt and press publish on Overflow. No. Matter. What.

But God.

God wasn't done yet. He is so relational. He loves to woo us and wow us. He makes His love for us abundantly clear, leaving no room for doubt.

Below is Shaw's closing statement:

"She (the widow woman) came to God with a need and she increased her capacity, and God responded with OVERFLOW... Here's what I have learned in the season that I have found my life in: that if I will continue increasing in capacity, God will give me more than what I need. He will bless me with OVERFLOW, so that I can walk with confidence into the future knowing that whatever life, whatever ministry, whatever the world throws my way, I'm going to have everything that I need. My message to all of you today is this: if you will increase your capacity, God is going to be with you, God is going to help you, God is going to strengthen you, and God's going to bless you with an OVERFLOW of his strength, an OVERFLOW of his anointing, an OVERFLOW of his power, and an OVERFLOW of revival."

-Adam Shaw

Do you spy with your little eye the word "overflow?" It's there. Not once. Not twice. Not three, four, or five times. In the closing of Shaw's message he used the word "overflow" six times!!!

In that moment- October 8th, 2020 on my living room couch- my prayer was answered. I was mobilized. I'd received my marching orders.

God was saying, "Make room, Alaina. Increase your capacity. Press publish. The miracle is on the other side of the crossroads."

So, friend, which tenants or guests do you need to evict or un-invite? How will you increase your capacity? The process won't be easy or pretty. Some might not support you. Some might ridicule you. So what! Go home, shut the door, and pour. Proceed through the crossroads and meet your miracle on the other side.

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Thank you so much for reading!!

Below is the excerpt of Shaw's closing statements from the message titled "More Jars." You can watch the full sermon here. Additionally, you can listen to Shaw's podcast "The Resorationist" at the link here.