God never gives us more than we can handle... right?

I used to think this. But then I'd think to myself... this and this is happening. Wait, I can't handle this. This is too much. I have anxiety. I have depression. I'm mega stressed out. God, why are you doing this to me?

Sound familiar?

We are human beings. And there are things that we can't handle. We get overwhelmed. The bad situation at work. The bullies at school. The difficult relationship. The family member who is using drugs and alcohol. The mental health struggles. Questioning faith. Someone dies. We feel like God doesn't love us anymore. It can lead to depression, and even suicidal thoughts. Yes, it happens to Catholics, too. If you're struggling with this, please get help. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/. 

Being a human being is hard. We all go through difficult things. We all suffer. And if we believe that God's never going to give us more than we can handle, we can start to think that God is just some omnipotent being up there who is doling out responsibility onto our plates and doesn't care that it's too heavy of a burden. That can alienate us from God and make us feel like He's not in our corner. And that couldn't be further from the truth.

I learned that this saying isn't true. Sometimes, more than we can handle happens to us. But, you know what is true? God is there for us, every second, every minute, of every day. He's helping us, and he is intimately involved in our lives. He cares deeply for us and about us. How do I know that, you ask? I'll tell you.

Jesus died for us, for all of us, on the Cross. He knew, from the beginning of time, before He created us, every single sin that we would commit, every mistake we would make, every time we would hurt Him. And He created us anyway. More than that—He died for us, anyway. He chose to stay with us in the Eucharist, so that we could receive Him in His Body and Blood. He left messages in the Bible—"Do not be afraid" 365 times, for every day of the year. He promised never to leave us orphans, to be with us always, until the end of time. Jesus is consistently loving, merciful, compassionate... our Savior. 

So, no. He isn't going to make us suffer. But he will help us when we suffer. He will be there when we have too much to handle. He will help us every step of the way. So when life gives you more than you can handle, turn to Jesus. He'll help you through it.

I promise you this, my friend, with certainty: Jesus will always be there... to help you handle what you are given.