#weary | itsawonderfilledlife

Posts Tagged ‘#weary’

Rest

Posted in life, tagged #cometome, #cometomeandiwillgiveyourest, #differentformsofrest, #getcreative, #renewed, #rest, #shutoutdistractions, #springbreak, #weary on March 13, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Spring break has begun for school-aged kids (and school staff) in my area. I always feel this is the most perfectly timed break in the school year, for it pivots us from winter to spring, to the final countdown to summer.

For some this break represents time to travel, for others to visit family and friends, or to read, or sleep late, or explore local restaurants, shops and entertainments and for others to do tasks around the house such as spring cleaning or renovations.

Rest looks different for everyone.

For me, the thought of sitting on the sofa watching TV, packing everyday with social events, or travelling are not the most restful ways to spend time. Don’t get me wrong, I love to visit with friends, to see new sights and to watch a good BCD (British Crime Drama). But, for me, rest is most favorably attained by being creative, physically building, painting and renovating, with no voices other than those of the podcasts teaching me and crime stories. This is pure bliss, restful to my body (though pain relievers are sometimes needed), mind and soul.

My ‘to do’ list this break is … rather sizeable, as I am doing a mini renovation in our kitchen. I have removed a couple of hanging cabinets, built and installed boxes above the existing wall cabinets, added trim, crown molding, removed the old tile backsplash (along with the gyproc). Now I need to replace that gyproc, paint my cabinets and trim, order countertops, paint walls, install lighting and (in the adjoining sunroom) install engineered wood flooring. I know that I will sleep well, be challenged, fill my cup and feel such joy in the finished product.

Rest will not just come to me through the physical work, but also the podcast reading through the Bible (I highly recommend The Bible in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz, which is also available on Youtube), as well as listening to numerous sermons from people who share the Word in diverse, educational and inspirational ways that challenge me to live differently, to walk with Christ each day.

This is the rest I need, the rest I long for. It is an opportunity for me to shut out the distractions, the discouragements, the noise of the world. To get my hands dirty with a taste of the creative, the redemptive work of God, all while being immersed in Him through the reading and teachings from his word.

And so, I approach this renewing time, being reminded of the words in Matthew 11:28 :

Come to me,
all you
who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.

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The Weary World Rejoices

Posted in christmas, tagged #christmas2021, #cometomeallwhoareweary, #Iwillgiveyourest, #thewearyworldrejoices, #weareweary, #weary, hecamefortheweary on December 17, 2021| Leave a Comment »

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.

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Weary Enough to Hear the Still Small Voice

Posted in WONDER, tagged #hushedtones, #oholynight, #stillsmallvoice, #weary, #wearyenoughtohearthestillsmallvoice, christmas on December 19, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Are you tired? Are you weary?

One more weekend, six shopping days, and less than a week before Christmas Day.

Weary is the common word of the season.

It would be a perfectly fitting word for a particular day, just this week, in my life.

In the Bible God speaks to Elijah and to Job in hushed whispers, a still small voice.

Some days I am amazed at how attention-getting that still small voice can be. Days like that particular day this very week, when fatigue was mounting and strength waning, and get up and go had gotten up and gone …

and then, the voice.

The voice through that student who feels safe in your presence, or the one who shares relief in a completed project, or the one that makes ever fibre of you want to reach out and embrace them with a good ‘ol Mamma hug (but you resist because that is so not job appropriate).

During this crazy, long, tiring week I am thankful that God decided to whisper in hushed tones. Through that still small voice of students who try so hard, who are filled with anxiety, who have been so misunderstood for so long that they rarely risk uttering … a whisper.

But, when we are bone tired weary, that can be the perfect opportunity to cease … cease the movement, cease the planning, cease the talking. In our ceasing of movement and noise, our ears are then attuned to the smallest sound, the stillest voice.

On this particular, pre-Christmas, weary day, I came home rejoicing.

God will do whatever is necessary to get our attention … even whisper.

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Worship as an Act of War

Posted in WONDER, tagged #battle, #hollygerth, #incourageme, #jehoshaphat, #overwhelmed, #psalm40, #weary, #whenyouneedhelpfightingabattleinyourlife, #worshipasanactofwar, Worship on March 23, 2014| Leave a Comment »

“We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” — Jehoshaphat, King of God’s People

This (above) is how the post by Holley Gerth started. But I am not a lover of battle scenes, armies and power struggles, so I was about to push delete on this post …

until …

until I read the following :

“Has your heart ever echoed what’s expressed above? You’re weary. You’re overwhelmed. You feel under attack. And you don’t have a single strategy or plan or idea about what to do. You just know something has to give–somehow this battle must be won.”

insert instant interest.

If you, too, are feeling more compelled to hear what Holly has to say in her post called, When You Need Help Fighting a Battle in Your Life, keep reading :

Has your heart ever echoed what’s expressed above? You’re weary. You’re overwhelmed. You feel under attack. And you don’t have a single strategy or plan or idea about what to do. You just know something has to give–somehow this battle must be won.

God answered Jehoshaphat with courage-giving words and His response can encourage us, too. He tells the King to go and fight his enemies. And as the people prepare to go, Jehoshaphat does something interesting. He doesn’t put the warriors at the front. He puts the singers.

Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the Lord,
for His love endures forever.”

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
{2 Chronicles 20:21-22

When the people arrived at what should have been a battleground, all they saw were bodies. The enemy had already been defeated. The threat eliminated. The victory won. The only thing to do was take the plunder and go home.

Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies.
{2 Chronicles 20:27}.

When you go out with praise, you come home with praise.

Worship is an Act of War by Holley Gerth

In this story the victory is instant and obvious. In our day-to-day battles the same might not be true. But here’s what is always true: Worship is an act of war. When we feel under attack, praise isn’t what we tend to think of first. We’re more likely to reach for our swords or run away in fear. But what if we paused and worshiped instead?

Then we’re not going into battle alone. We’re going with the God who spoke the universe into being fighting on our behalf. That changes everything. Because He never loses. Even when it looks like He’s been defeated, like when Jesus died on the cross, it was only a matter of time until His ultimate victory became clear.

What’s overwhelming you today? What’s coming against you? What situation is causing you to feel fear? Take a moment right now to say to God what Jehoshaphat did: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

Then worship.

And watch God work.

This battle will not be won not by your power but by God’s might. Nothing can defeat Him and He lives in you…that means nothing can defeat you either.

Now that’s a reason for praise today.

XOXO

Holley Gerth

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