Dear Overwhelmed Heart,

24 hours are not enough anymore.

24 hours are simply not enough anymore. Because how are you supposed to get a job, grow your career, eat healthy, exercise, meet and mingle, carry fire for Jesus and walk in purpose, create time for family and friends, and maintain your sanity all at once? And we’re supposed to do this every single day???

It’s a lot to have to do, a lot to have to be, and it’s hard. It’s especially if, like me, you’re still navigating the treacherous waters of adulthood and figuring out who you want to be and what you want to do with your life. Settling into the career path you have chosen and navigating the dynamics of the workplace is enough to give anyone a headache, and to be honest, Sunday night is definitely a gloomy period for a lot of people. But then again, some of us don’t even get the luxury of the weekends off. So professionally, life is a lot. And that’s just work, or your business. That’s frustration, and most of the time it is self-inflicted.

Then there are the personal relationships. Everybody seems to be going through a lot at the same time, and even if you want to be there as much as possible for the ones you love, the version of shege you’re presently wading through is barely letting you breathe, much less show up and be as present as you would want. It’s disappointing that you’re missing out on all the important moments, weddings and birthdays and dedications, but you have just one body and one mind, and there’s only so much that you can do at any given time. It’s even worse when you forget, and it is important to someone you really care about. Now, in addition, there’s guilt and perhaps even self-loathing. Dear one, they fade with time and steady growth.

You might even have just started a new degree, or you’re about to finish one, or you are studying for an exam, or starting a new project, or stepping into a new role. You could be fine-tuning plans to start a business, or upscaling an existing one. Regardless of the details, all that matters to you is that it’s uncharted waters, unfamiliar territory, though the crowd (if you are fortunate enough to have one) is encouraging you to step out and succeed, although you know on subconscious and logical levels that you can do this, there’s a part of you that is really hesitant. Why? Because you’re terrified. What if it doesn’t work? What if you fail? What if, despite the cheering on, you don’t make it? What if you’re just not good enough? And what’s worse, what if everybody realizes it too? Every time you start to think about it, your heart starts beating really fast, and your vision blurs behind the curtain of tears. You can literally feel your body temperature rise as your head starts to throb, and you’re suddenly dizzy. Lovely, that’s fear and anxiety, and they lie.

You are completely, utterly, existentially tired.

Tired of worrying through the day, tired of worrying about what tomorrow will bring. Tired of thinking you’ve lost time, you’ve wasted years, and you might never catch up. Tired of comparing your life to your mates and always coming up short. Tired of humouring the senior colleagues who think you’re there for their ease and to be the butt of their jokes, tired of not being taken seriously even though your ideas are sound. Just because you’re younger, or inexperienced compared to the others, or female in an old boy’s club, or not as qualified as the PhD holders, or even worse, you’re all these things. Tired of being tired.

If any of this is you, beloved I see you, I know you. And this letter might not make all these things disappear, but maybe it’ll shift the clouds just enough to let a ray of sunshine in. I’ll send you as many rays as I can, but seeing as I didn’t make the sun, I have to turn to the One who did. The great part is, as always, He already made the sun to shine on all and dispel every darkness. But more than that, it’s also on a mission to reveal the help you need.

Help that is already promised to you, like in Matthew 11:28, where He asks you to, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Comfort that seeks to reassure you, just as in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”

Find the strength to get up in the morning, after all Philippians 4:13, promises that, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

There’s a relief that comes from knowing that you are not alone, and Isaiah 41:10 gives you this confidence, since He says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

So hold on to these rays, and to Psalm 34:17-18, which guarantees us that, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” 

I know the burden is heavy, it can be crushing and you might not see any way to see the sun, but Dear Heart, you forget that you can always place it at your Father’s feet. Don’t you see? Water isn’t unusual in a lush jungle. It’s only when you’re in the desert, right in the midst of a dry and thirsty land, that rivers are a miracle. So trust me, if He’s willing to go so far as to make a way in the wilderness for you, it’s not Lagos in 2025 that will stop Him from keeping His promises to you.

Here’s the irony: this letter isn’t even for you.

Casting all my cares on Him,

Gabrielle…