Not the just sleepy kind of tired, even though I could use a tight 12 hours; but rather the kind of tired that when you sit down to write the blog post that is three days past due the words won't cooperate kind of tired.
The weary and spent kind of tired that comes from living in a world that is wrecked by the fall and the constant reminders that come in all shapes and sizes. Huge reminders like mass shootings and terrorism and then the smaller, more personal reminders like the impatience laden underpinnings of the anger in my own heart.
The exhausted kind of tired that comes from the busyness of days in which it seems like you've run a marathon on a treadmill; GREAT expending of effort to get nowhere. Wondering at the end of the day if anything you did that day mattered in the context of eternity.
The cranky tired that comes from a lack of sleep; not that you've been up interceding for the families that you've dealt with all week or staying up late digging into the truth of God's word; but rather dealing with a puppy that has his days and nights mixed up and wants to play (...oh, by the way, we got a puppy).
But also the kind of tired from interceding for the families that you've dealt with all week, my family. When you are part of God's church, people are family. We share the commonality of Christ and are HONORED to bear one another's burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ. Those families are mere friends, we're family. When one hurts, we all hurt. When one celebrates, we celebrate. And, in that living of life together, we get tired.
The tired that comes when you wonder if you'll ever get parenting more right than not right. The tired that comes when you realize that you probably didn't love your wife that day the way that Jesus does the church. The kind of tired that makes you wonder if God ever just looks and shakes His head. The kind of tired that makes you feel like you've pushed to the extremes of grace.
And in the midst of the tired, the exhaustion, the spent, used up feelings; there lies truth. Not the fleeting sense of uncertainty that comes with working from an emotional and physical deficit; but the strong assurance of the truth of God's word that reminds us of Him.
We do not have a High Priest in Jesus who has not experienced the brokenness of this world. We have a Savior who has been tired. He experienced exhaustion. He carried the burden of others in a way that we will never experience.
So in the midst of the tired, I am reminded. Not by looking into the depth of my heart to find why I have trouble creating margin in my life. Not by examining my time management skills because life RARELY checks my calendar before happening. Rather, I am reminded by the unchanging, eternal, inspired truth of God's word. Reminded, encouraged, strengthened, and enabled to rest.
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary of tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary and to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait on the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." ~ Isaiah 40:28-31
"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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 shall find REST for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light." Jesus ~ Matthew 11:28-30
So if you are tired, look to Him. If you are weary, lay your burden on His shoulders. Stop striving and start abiding with Him. Rest. But not in yourself or your own ability; rest in the one who loves you. Rest in the one who can carry all that we have. Rest in the one who gives inexhaustible grace for the broken and rest for the weary.
Rest.
(Now, go to bed. It's too late to be reading a blog. :) )
