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 Tweet

Come 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 Tweet

I 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:

Mondays   Mandy and Michele/ Inspire Me Monday/Anita Ojeda Tuesdays InstaEncouragements Wednesdays  Recharge Wednesday / Tell His Story//Let’s Have Coffee Thursdays /Salt and Light/Simply Coffee and Jesus Friday FriendshipFriday/Blogger Voices Network /

Lauren Sparks

Tammy Kennington

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