Weary

When the stay-at-home orders were first enacted, I was being super productive. I was getting tons of work accomplished, felt like I was on top of things, and my spiritual life felt stonger too.

Now, I feel weary. I've lost some of that spark, perhaps some of that adrenaline that fueled me in the beginning. Even though I am an introvert, I'm looking forward to seeing church family in person. In a lot of ways and for many people, the stay-at-home orders have resulted in MORE work. Figuring out how to accomplish tasks from home. Dealing with technology issues. Cooking more meals at home. Trying to help children with schoolwork at home. Working on odd projects around the house that have been on the to-do list for months. Many people, myself included, have become busier.

As a result, I have grown weary. A part of me would look at what I had accomplished and celebrate, and yet, another part of me would look at what still needed to be done and become somewhat discouraged. Because of this, both my work and my spiritual health have slipped, as I've tried to keep working hard, but become increasingly distracted by the silliest things.

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Rest. Rest. In this time, I've been going, going, going, doing, doing, doing, working, working, working. I haven't rested much. Yeah, I've taken breaks, and watched TV, and played games, but I haven't taken real rest, rest that comes from Jesus, from spending time in His presence, from recognizing that all my accomplishments and work don't make me more valuable in His sight. God commanded a Sabbath for a reason: in that rest spent with Him, we are renewed.

On Monday, I'm spending my whole morning away from it all, work, distractions, noise, even family. Just me, my Bible, and my Savior. Maybe some paper and a pen. A time for listening. A time for rest. A time for renewal. If you're feeling run-down, weary, burdened, I hope you'll consider doing something similar.