Help for the Weary Woman
The thin weave of the standard schoolhouse carpet failed to buffer the layer of cement pressing into my frame, but I ignored the discomfort and allowed weariness to pull me into a brief, fitful sleep in the darkened corner of my classroom. The short respite, though, offered nothing but a momentary reprieve.
It was a come-to-me-you-who-are-weary moment that changed everything. Jesus–and fibromyalgia–changed my entire approach to life.
Jesus--and fibromyalgia--changed my entire approach to life. #livingwithfibromyalgia #cometome Click To TweetCome to Me All Who Are Weary
Christ’s often quoted words, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NIV), are stamped on blankets, books, and binders. Yet women worldwide struggle with weariness.
Even before fibromyalgia drove me to the place of forced decisions, I lived a Type-A life with a Type-B heart. I yearned for less of busyness and more of a slow, purposeful pace.
More of my people. More of purpose. More of the Prince of Peace.
You, too?
Come to me. A peek at this phrase in Greek reveals its importance. Had Christ scrawled them on a classroom whiteboard, an exclamation point would mark the end of the sentence. Words of yearning, Jesus longs to relieve people of their burdens but we must come to Him of our own volition.
Dear one—Christ calls to you.
Come to me.
All who are weary and burdened.
A “seasoned” mother of four, I was a survivor of parenting rebellious teens through military deployments, mental health struggles, and more. Still, more than twenty-five years of sleepless nights neglected to prepare me for the weariness I experienced when chronic illness stepped into my life.
Merriam-Webster defines weariness as “exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness”. Yes, I could relate to that as a mama. But fibromyalgia was like experiencing the flu every day.
Weariness moved in for good. How could I cope? Only through Christ.
The words of Jesus—all who are weary and burdened–encapsulate both physical and mental fatigue. Not only that, but the concept of burdened involves religious burdens. Burdens of doing. Performing. Proving oneself.
I wonder if you feel as mentally worn as you do physically? Perhaps you work, work, work to show Him you’re serious about faith. Oh, friend, faith in Christ leads to freedom from religion.
Perhaps you work, work, work to show Him you’re serious about faith. Oh, friend, faith in Christ leads to freedom from religion. #cometome #freedominchrist Click To TweetI will give you rest. Psalm 23 flashes into my mind the moment I read the Greek definition of the word rest. Its beautiful meaning? Refresh.
“…he refreshes my soul.”
Can you picture yourself with Jesus? Reclining on cushions at a low table in His presence, you marvel at the scenery along the river’s edge. Peace flows from within like never before.
A picture for tomorrow, I believe Christ offers us the same today. John 14:27 (NIV) encourages, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
He is our banquet table and our peace.
Finding Rest From Weariness
Fibromyalgia lives and breathes on activity. Too much and the body rebels. Not enough? The body atrophies and tires–breathing becomes labored while walking a flight of stairs or organizing a closet.
Autoimmune disorders alter lives. Living well requires discipline—the giving up of what was once enjoyed for what can be managed in exchange for long-term health.
Once a weight-lifting, Zumba-loving gym rat, I swapped daily walks to avoid flares that landed me in bed for days at a time. This trade required discipline. I prefer working out with others and miss the competitive nature of classes.
Oddly, resting in the Lord also demands discipline—discipline in the faith.
Jeremiah 6:16 reads, “This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”
The Hebrew word interpreted ancient also means everlasting or eternal. The words of the prophet exhort us to seek God through the clearly established ways of the faith. Some of these include 1) Bible study, 2) prayer and 3) worship.
Rest for the weary in Bible study. My illness reached its peak as the pandemic traumatized the world. Suddenly without colleagues or friends, I indulged in hours of Bible study.
The deeper I dove into God’s word, the more I longed to be fed and nurtured. Deep called to deep and the Holy Spirit fanned into flame my desire for more. More of God. More for His glory.
Filling my mind with spiritual manna released a desire for other disciplines of the faith and helped keep my eyes fixed on Him when weariness wore me thin.
Filling my mind with spiritual manna released a desire for other disciplines of the faith and helped keep my eyes fixed on Him when weariness wore me thin. #wearyandburdened #cometome Click To Tweet
Rest for the weary in prayer. While my body ached for physical rest, the emotional exhaustion felt at least as heavy.
Lugging bags bursting with binders and the never-ending work of a teacher home in the late afternoons, I forced a smile onto my face. Making a poor attempt to hide my aching joints and the screaming pain between my shoulders, I couldn’t eliminate the purple smudges beneath my eyes.
Sleep eluded me in the dark hours as discomfort invaded my bones. Prayer became my solace. Support. Sustenance.
I can’t continue like this, Lord.
Come to me, all you who are weary. Come to me, daughter. Be still and rest.
And weariness spilled from my heart—marking its place where the moonbeams shone on my pillow.
Prayer. What an incredible invitation to connect with God. To commune with the Creator in the intimacy of uninterrupted moments and surrender the unexplainable. Unlikable. Ugly. And still, be loved.
Rest for the weary in worship.
We all worship something or someone. It may be wealth, a political candidate, a social agenda, or sex. Others of us worship the Lord—giving Him Lordship and control of our lives. It is the spiritual sacrifice of our lives for the life He gave on the cross.
Each day when we “offer ourselves as a living sacrifice” we engage in worship. Whether we are married or unmarried, career-minded or not, “Submitting to one another out of love” in the likeness of Christ is an act of individual worship.
The Greatest Lesson I’ve Learned About Weariness
My battle with weariness has taught me that no matter the condition of my circumstances, my life belongs to Him. I sacrifice each day—even each hard moment to Him.
There, I sit at His feet. Like Mary, I take in the lover of my soul and praise flows from my lips for–most days–“I have chosen the better part” (Luke 10:42 NKJV).
I sometimes link up with the following wonderful bloggers:
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Tammy Kennington
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Tammy, I appreciated this post as it has pointed me to do some researching 🙂 “My battle with weariness has taught me that no matter the condition of my circumstances, my life belongs to Him. I sacrifice each day—even each hard moment to Him.” The battles each day do teach us lessons!
Hi Joanne.
They do teach us and I’m continuing to learn! Last night ended with tears of exhaustion. But today is a new day and He is able.
I pray your research proves fruitful!
Blessings,
Tammy
Tammy thank you for sharing your story. Such good advice about resting here in every season. Weariness comes in many forms, and rather than pushing through like I often do, I hear my Savior inviting me to the rest only He can give.
Hearing your story helped me realize though we walk the hard paths, He never leaves us, but blesses us with treasured moments with Him.
Hi Donna,
Pre-fibro, I constantly pushed through weariness-whether emotional, physical, or spiritual. Learning to seek Him during those times has been an unexpected outcome of the illness.
Blessings to you, friend.
Tammy
Beautiful Tammy. Thank you for sharing your encouraging personal story and how Jesus helps us with our weariness.
Hi Deborah,
It’s my pleasure. Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings,
Tammy
You are a beautiful writer Tammy! Thank you for this sweet and vulnerable post, I can feel your love for and closeness to Jesus. I, too, understand weariness, mine from managing constant pain and trying to keep my mind and emotions from spiraling because that would just make it all so much harder. Praying for you, sweet sister. I am bookmarking this post to read again later, it blessed me so. Blessings to you, thank you for this beautiful post!
Hi Donna.
Thank you for your kind words. I am so sorry you carry such a heavy burden. The emotional struggle that accompanies chronic pain is such a challenge. May I pray for you, as well?
Father, I lift your daughter before the throne and ask you to encircle her in the shelter of your arms. Help her to endure the difficult path that is chronic illness, Lord, and guide her to a place of rest each day at your feet. I ask that other people would encourage Donna and be your hands and feet when she grows physically tired and that you would refresh her as she draws close to you. In the name of Jesus, Amen
Peace and grace,
Tammy
I’m so sad to hear of the physical hardships and pain you have endured, Tammy. Thank you for sharing your journey of overcoming with the Lord, and learning to rest.
Thank you, Lisa.
It’s something I wouldn’t choose, but many are walking the same journey. God is teaching me many lessons along the way that I hope will be an encouragement to others.
Blessings,
Tammy
I’m so sad to hear of the physical hardships and pain you have endured, Tammy. Thank you for sharing your journey of overcoming with the Lord and learning to rest. May the Lord continue to strengthen you, bring healing, and give you wisdom.
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for your kind words. I so appreciate them!
Blessings to you,
Tammy
Tammy, thank you so much for the way you use your trials to encourage us all. This was a fresh Word for me today. Resting in Him amid the weariness isn’t my fallback. I tend to push through (and often grumble along the way). I’ll be mulling this over for days to come. Bless you!
Stacey, I hear you. I’ve had to learn to respond to weariness in ways that I hadn’t previously. It’s given me the opportunity to fill up on Him in unexpected ways.
Peace and grace to you, friend.
Boy Tammy can I ever relate. Jesus and fibromyalgia changed my life too. Your words mean so much to me as I ride the fibro roller coaster with Jesus.
Visiting today from Let’s Have Coffee #23&24
Hi Paula,
My heart goes out to you. Praying you feel well today, friend.
Blessings,
Tammy
Another blogger recently wrote, “Rest is not an easy posture.” So very true…
If only rest came easily! We need it on so many levels.
Thanks for stopping by!
Peace and grace,
Tammy
Oh, Tammy. I know God is working good in this, even as I can see in your words how hard it is. You are right that resting is a discipline. Whether the rest we need is physical, emotional or mental. I can relate to your weariness in only a small part. I am experiencing chronic back pain and it does make me feel more tired than I normally would. Saps my energy for anything active. But I keep trudging on and praying for insurance to come through on the next step. Saying a prayer for you, my friend.
Hi Lauren,
I’m so sorry to hear about your back pain. Asking the Lord to answer prayers for insurance to come through and to ease the discomfort.
Peace and grace,
Tammy
Tammy, thank you for these wise and inspirational thoughts on weariness. I am emerging out of a long season of grief and weariness. Lessons learned, praises offered, and anticipation for what lies ahead.
I know that weariness will continue to return. I’m grateful that He doesn’t change like shifting shadows.
Bless you this weekend …
Hi Linda,
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. When the weariness returns, I pray you will find comfort in His arms.
Peace and grace,
Tammy
Ahhh, Tammy, such peace-filled, life-giving words in this post. I’ve experienced more weariness lately than I have in the last number of years. After a summer of eight trips, lots of stressful things going on with our sons, and trying to maintain a semblance of normal for my own sake has left me weary. I’m leaning into the truths you’ve shared about leaning on the Lord and letting Him refresh my spirit. Thank you for these suggestions on how to do that better.
Hi Jeanne,
My heart goes out to you. Weariness can be such a hard struggle. Praying restoration and hope over you tonight, friend.
Peace and grace,
Tammy
Tammy, I’m so sorry that you experienced this painful journey of weariness, but we know that God works for the good of those who love Him and your message shows how He blessed you through a closer walk with Him. Thank you for sharing this message of perseverance, faith, and love.
Hi Katherine,
In a time when many people struggle with long-Covid and other chronic illnesses, I hope my story encourages others–even in mundane day-to-day struggles.
He is faithful every day!
Blessings,
Tammy