Swamped

This week's illustrationFriday.com challenge word is "swamped"    When I saw this week's word, I had to chuckle.  It pretty much sums up  my existence lately.  Swamped!

Swamped with four boys, and their baseball season and school musicals,  a house sale and relocation, art exhibits, batiks, birthday parties and receptions.. The list is overwhelming.  No wonder   I feel "swamped" and bogged down with the cares of life.

Because I feel that way, is that who I am?  Am I my  feelings?  Are we our thoughts?  It may seem that way but we  are not our thoughts and we are not our feelings.  We are not our successes or our failures.  We are not our bank account, our level of education or our skin color.....

Then who are we?

C.S. Lewis said.  "You don't have a Soul, you are Soul and you live in a body"

We are Soul - Spirit.

The problem is, thoughts take over and affect our emotions - soon our  emotions seem to be saying exactly what our mind wants it to tell us.  Face it, emotions are  deceiving .. and loud.  So loud that we can't hear any other voice except the voice of emotion...and soon we believe that is who we are.  "I am swamped.  I am a victim. I am ashamed. I am not loved.....".   None of that is who we are..but we are not  mind, We are not emotions.  We are Spirit..  We are Soul.

Soul is that part of us that God breathed into Adam.  Soul is God's very breath. I have heard it said that Soul is a Spark of God.  Soul is energy and inspiration.  Soul is what God loves.

I was finishing this batik on Friday when I checked the Illustration Friday word. If I wasn't working on this batik, I would have immediately associated swamped with my life right now.   Instead, I realized swamped has many meanings.  Swamp doesn't have to be a state of being. Swamp is simply a place we find ourselves  sometimes.  It isn't who we are....  Even in the middle of the swamp is beautiful fauna.  I  have to smile at the synchronicity and the life lesson I found.