itsawonderfilledlife

While it truly is the most wonderful time of the year, it is also the most wearying for many.

Even in this time of caution due to the Covid pandemic, there are concerts, church services, special dinners, presents to purchase and wrap, decorations to get out, lights to be strung, a tree to be cut down/put up and trimmed, goodies to bake and magic to create.

And it can all be so, so wearying.

Even though we know, we know that we do not have to make busy so as to make merry and celebrate the reason for this season … we still get pulled in, convinced that if we do not make our own shortbread cookies, from great grandma’s recipe, Christmas will simply not be Christmas.

I have been noticing a certain demographic this year. It’s the moms of littles, sneaking what will become stocking stuffers, among the green beans and broccoli in their carts. Their littles mesmerized by the lights and the toys. The moms looking like their plates are overloaded and their souls unnourished.

They are weary.

Weary of the regular daily life with littles. Weary of bills to pay, of meals to make, of toilets to clean. All while trying to do it all right, doing it all with a social media worthy smile. All while a million voices whisper, yell into their ears and hearts …

do more! do better!

But, here is what I hear when I see these ladies doing their level best to love and provide for their littles,

“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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

This is the call of Jesus for each of us. He came for the weary moms of littles, for the dads tired from trying to be both strong and vulnerable, for the lonely who are weary of the quiet, for those worn out from fighting for their health, for those exhausted from their life, their job of caring for others (in so many areas from health care, to senior care, to child care), for those drained from the constant pivots required due to the pandemic (such as educators, business owners … restaurant owners).

He came for the weary, for we are all weary.

Weary of the burden of life that has been hard since things went awry in the garden … and toil became our reality.

He came for the weary … he came for you.