Rest For Your Soul and The Rest of the Story

Have you been tired lately? I mean, plum wore out; can’t keep even your eyes open. You know, that kind of tired that has you longing for a soft blanket and comfy pillow so you can drift sweetly off to sleep and forget your worries for a while? I was that kind of tired this afternoon. It was a lazy, sunny Sunday. We’d had a wonderful service at church and some dear friends over for Sunday supper. After they left, I joyfully anticipated a phone call from my best friend Kelly from college. We haven’t chatted for months and had plans to catch up this afternoon. But I was tired.

Our wireless Internet went down after lunch and when Spencer wanted to get on to search for something—what, I don’t remember, but it was something important to a 10 year old boy–we had to use our back up dial-up connection to access the Net. Well, it got left on all afternoon, thus tying up the phone line. After our company was gone, I sat down on the couch to wait for Kelly’s call. Then I decided to put my feet up for a second. That lead to me stretching out, blanket and all, and falling sound asleep. For TWO HOURS!!!!

Needless to say, with the dial up connection running, I missed Kelly’s call. We had to reschedule for later this week. All because I was too tuckered out.

Maybe you aren’t physically tired, but most women I know are emotionally exhausted. With the demands of life and the people we must serve beckoning for us moment by moment, it is easy to become totally overwhelmed. Sometimes on Sunday night, just looking at my ‘to do’ list for the upcoming week can send me into a tizzy. And I really try to be intentional and not put too much on my plate. But even then, life happens and we often face a pile up of activities that have deadlines that fall right on top of each other.

Just this weekend, I had to get the house “realtor ready” to show Friday night(aka—spotless even in cupboards and closets and the never-visited furnace room, for crying out loud!). I was in charge of my son’s basketball year-end shin dig that same evening and then Saturday morning, I had a coffee date with my daughter to “figure out her life” (plan her senior year homeschooling/community college schedule and look at college brochures) Today was church and company for dinner and then the too-long-put-off tax preparation. (It is 2:00 am and I just now finished!) Tomorrow holds school…… and a friend’s family passing through town who will stop for a visit….. and a radio program to record….and my Weigh and Pray group at church at night……. All good–but all activities whose times cannot be changed. It leaves me tuckered out and makes my brain spin. I know you’ve all been there.

But Jesus’ words beckon us:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29

The Message paraphrase version says it this way:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

I don’t know about you, but ‘worn out’ and ‘burned out’ unfortunately are very accurate words to describe me right now. I need some serious time away. Not to go shopping or have cappuccino or get my nails done. No, I need time to reconnect with someone even more important than my best friend from college. I need to spend unbroken, unhurried time talking and listening to the Lord. And I need to put it down on my calendar and keep that crucial appointment. No excuses.

How about you?

Sweet Soul-soothing Blessings,

Karen

P.S…….Keep checking back to my site for an organizational “Hop and Swap” I’ll be hosting this Friday in conjunction with my friend Lysa TerKeurst president of Proverbs 31 Ministries. It will be designed to help each other tackle those areas of our home that are in need of a desperate organizational overhaul. And yes…there will be a prize too! Details coming soon…

2 Comments

  1. Karen,
    I can totally relate. I got the tax thing done this weekend also. I finally got my quiet time (at least a little) while driving to cover working for a friend in need. My plan is to finish while I am driving home!!
    I think I will schedule my time in my calendar, maybe I can be more consistent then.
    Blessings,
    Charlene

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