Ever have one of those “Calgon” moments—you know, “Calgon, take me away!” The phrase comes from a 1978 bath product advertising campaign that captured the desire to escape the stress of daily life and retreat to a peaceful, relaxing place. In the commercial, a stressed person dealt with traffic, a demanding job, or noisy children before calling out for the bath product to transport them to a calm, bubbly oasis.
Today, people use the phrase as a joke or a wish when they feel overwhelmed and desperately need a break.
Now, back to my original question: have you ever had one of those moments? Of course, we all have. A few weeks ago, that is exactly where I found myself. It felt as though every possible source of stress had gathered at once, much like “Murphy’s Law”—whatever can go wrong, will go wrong—and I was not in a good place. It may not have shown in my facial expression, my demeanor, or my words, but trust me, it was gnawing away on the inside.
I wish I could fully describe the raw emotions churning inside, but without the ability to communicate audibly, that is difficult. The best way I can explain it is that I felt caught somewhere between flustered and frustrated: confused and scattered under pressure, yet also deeply worn down because things simply were not working. In that moment, I understood why people sometimes blend those feelings into the made-up word “flusterated,” because that was exactly how I felt, a combination of both.
That difficult moment became an honest picture of where I was internally: overwhelmed, weary, and unable to put everything into words.
We were taking a long-overdue trip away from the extreme grind, but the farther we got from home, the more intense those feelings became. I found myself tempted to throw in the towel, walk away, and declare that I was done with EVERYTHING.
Just as I pictured myself throwing up my hands in surrender and saying, “I’m done,” I sensed the gentle tug of the Holy Spirit reminding me of the words of Jesus.
Matthew 11:28-30 “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’” [NLT]
In that moment, I could picture Jesus reaching His hand toward me and saying, “Randy, that is exactly what I want you to do. Throw up your hands and surrender—not in defeat, but by releasing your frustration, confusion, anger, disappointment, and the emotions being driven by mental and physical fatigue.”
You see, there may be no “Calgon” to carry us away from the everyday grind, but there is Someone far greater. Jesus stands ready, with arms extended, inviting us to turn every anxiety loose and come to Him for rest.
Perhaps you are in that same place today, or maybe you have just come through it and are still trying to sort everything out. If so, pause for a moment and hear the words of Jesus as He invites you to release life’s burdens and receive His rest.
Be encouraged today, my friend: Jesus truly loves you, and He is inviting you to lay down what has been weighing on your heart, receive His rest, and walk forward in the peace only He can give.
Be blessed and have a wonderful day!