The Medicine Cabinet: Go to Bed — Monday
Matthew 11:28a
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened…” (NIV)
“T-I-R-E-D,” my mom used to say. “It’s spelled out on your forehead.” Since I was little, my brow would furrow and I’d rub my temples when stress and weariness started to take their toll. Unfortunately, I have quite a few physical “tells” when I’m tired. My eyes glaze over. My face gets puffy. I do absent-minded things (just ask my husband how many times he’s found stuff in the fridge that doesn't belong there), and my clumsiness gets worse than it already is (if that’s even possible). I laugh less, and I yawn more. And my forehead is still a dead giveaway when I begin to rub out its tension at the end of a draining day (or week, or month, or year).
I’m not special. Well, not in this regard anyway. All of you—yep, every single one of you reading this—know what it’s like to be tired. Maybe you’re better at hiding it than I am, but you can’t fool God. He knows it, too.
None of us get to make it through life untouched by weariness. But there are different kinds of tired. There’s the kind of tired you feel after a long day of fun swimming in the summer, when you’re sunburnt and hungry but content with the world. That’s happy-tired. There’s the kind of tired you feel when you’re grieving a loss and riding out intense waves of emotions. That’s sad-tired. There’s the kind of tired that you feel when you’re up all night doing homework, or caring for a newborn, or dealing with a busted pipe. That’s sleepy-tired. There’s the kind of tired you feel after a hard workout, or a day of construction, or putting on an event. That’s body-tired. And then there’s the kind of tired you feel when things seem meaningless and lonely, or your joy tank is running on empty, or you’re facing more questions than answers about life. That’s soul-tired.
Sometimes, tired is all we bring to the table. It’s our standard answer when asked how we’re doing. Exhaustion can become our modus operandi. But what if there’s hope for the worn and weary? Respite for the ragged and run-down? What if there’s a better way forward for our tired selves?
Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened.” The first step is admitting that we ARE tired. And the next step is one in His direction. Stick with me this week to see what we bring to the table, and what He offers us instead.
Monday’s Reflection
What kind of tired are you? Take a minute to identify where you are experiencing weariness in your life, and pause for long enough to ask why.
