Are You Weary? I Am...

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²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

I'm tired. Not just physically but emotionally and mentally tired too. It's because I don't sleep well. It's because I deal with a daily bout of anxiety that my little white pills 80% succeed in keeping under control. It's because outside influences push change on my life that isn't always welcome.

But that's life. Not just for me, but for many, if not all, of us.

I'm not whinging out this, just stating fact. And while I don't use my depression and anxiety as a cop out, it does impact how I cope with life, and what, and whom, I allow to affect the life of my daughter and I.

 I recall feeling tired almost three years ago. It was four months after I had my nervous breakdown. I was tired, worn out and burned out by life. And while I'm not in that state now, I am weary. I can feel it in my bones, my heart and my mind.

The bone weariness is due to a physical illness that attacks me every summer. Fibromyalgia, the painful auto-immune disease whereby my body aches and burns. Where ice blocks applied directly to my skin and ibuprofen promptly consumed are the only two things, outside of air conditioning that is, that ease my pain.

The heart weariness is because of the emotional pain that I see others go through. It is because I am raising a nine year old daughter who has started going through "the change" (yes, it applies for tweens too!). It is because the world itself is becoming more and more messed up as each day, week, month and year go by. (Bring back the simplicity of the 1970s, I say!)

The mind weariness basically comes from being "bone weary". From my body being tired. I don't sleep well, so thus my body and mind are not being renewed as they should. It's also from the busyness of life. Of the busyness that I inflict, which I'm planning on reducing, and the busyness that others inflict on my life.

It's a vicious circle. It's a merry-go-round that keeps getting faster and faster whereby holding on causes unnecessary weariness.

It's a merry-go-round we create, and control, ourselves.

What is the solution? Those who know Jesus already know that He is. Overcoming weariness requires focus and commitment to the Lord. I found 45 Bible verses that deal with the topic "weary". I've printed them out and am going to write them out longhand. Commit them to my heart.

Remember that it is only Jesus who can help my weariness.

Do you feel weary too?

Standing In My Own Way...

I saw this on Facebook recently. I immediately emailed the photo to myself (as you do) and wrote the following:

Standing in my own way.
Not remembering His promise of redemption.
Taking the world's word over God's, etc

We are told many times in the Bible that through the blood of Jesus we will be washed whiter than snow. That our sins are forgiven.

Heather King reminds us here that "we are promised a new identity in Christ". We are made new.

It's an amazing promise.

But do you have times when you just don't feel like you've been "made new"? I know I certainly do, and seeing this quote from Heather King has made me really think about why.

My number one enemy (next to Satan, of course) is me. I stand in my own way. I cause myself many of the problems that I encounter. I am not good to myself. And I need to be. A friend's number one quote is "Be good to yourself". I understand why he says that. And I must remember to be.

Speaking of remembering, I must remind myself that I have been redeemed. Jesus didn't die on the cross for no reason at all. He didn't commit any sin. He died on the cross for a purpose, which is you and me. To die in place of our sins. To receive promise to spend eternity with Him.

I am redeemed. I am redeemed. I am redeemed.

And because I am redeemed, I have full access to all that God promised His people. That includes God Himself, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It includes the ability to pray at any given moment about any given thing. To have a conversation with Him. To be in an intimate relationship with Him.

It also includes inclusion into God's family. Adoption into a heavenly and holy family where peace and love and kindness and forgiveness and grace are normal. It means never having to be alone again. Never having to feel like we don't belong.

The privilege of having access to God's Living Word, the Bible. His book. His words written down over thousands of years by men who loved God, who knew Him and who saw first hand the amazing works and miracles He performed. The Word that speaks to us as we study it.

One thing that I know I as a Christian battles with the most is ignoring the world and its lies. Fighting a spiritual battle that wages between God and Satan with our souls as the prize. The battle that rages in our hearts and souls and will not end until after Jesus returns.

We must not stand in our own way.
We must remember our redemption
We must trust in God's Word only.

Second Corinthians 5:17 tells us that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Amen.

Three Months of Fantastic Reading!

Call me crazy or call me ready to really get into God's Word, but starting today - July 11, 2011 - I am going to embark on reading the Bible in 90 days.  Yes, the whole Bible in three months.

I am both nervous and excited, and praying now about how I am going to fit it into my daily schedule, which already has the single parenting gig, a seven year old Year 2 student, working full-time, keeping a house, and maintaining my sanity!

God is good, though, and I know that I will be able to do it!

If you're interested in joining me and many other participants, click the photo above to find out all about it and click here to sign up!  Also check out the Week One Check-in here.

I'd love for you to join me if you can!