Help for the Weary

Weary Jen, circa 2006

 Moses heard all the families standing in the doorways of their tents whining… And Moses said to the Lord, “Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? Did I give birth to them? Did I bring them into the world? Why did you tell me to carry them in my arms like a mother carries a nursing baby? ... I can’t carry all these people by myself! The load is far too heavy! If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!”                       Numbers 11:10-12, 14-15 (NLT)

Moses had walked through an intense time. For the last 18 months, he had contended with Pharaoh, led the people out of Egypt and into the Wilderness, fasted for 40 days, carried some tablets, intercepted a rebellion, fought a battle, managed grumbling, built the Tabernacle and faced opposition from within his own family. Moses was weary. And he was having himself a nice little meltdown.

How about you? Ever been there? “God! Just kill me now! It would be easier than dealing  with these children!!”

Are you burdened? Weary? Overwhelmed? Discouraged? Wanting to have a little meltdown/pity-party/freak-out of your own?

What makes you weary? Young children? Teenagers? A stressful job? Ministry? Challenging marriage? Weight loss? Struggle with addiction? Devastating loss? Shame? A combination of any of the above?

There was a time when caring for my children made me weary, when they were tiny: nursing and crawling and crying and getting into things. It’s easier now. Right now, my olders are happily playing Scrabble and my youngers are “cleaning” their room. I can hear hollers of “I just played ‘zonal’ for 32 points!” and “Do I have to put away my Lightning McQueen set?” and “is SOS a word?” and it’s all directed at me, like it’s not real unless they share it with me. It’s a beautiful noise. (But noisy, all the time.)

Now my pressures are different, but still overwhelming: boys who are CONSTANTLY hungry and a Type 1 diabetic with high/low blood sugars and sticky floors and laundry piles and sermons to write and young women to disciple and a middle schooler. Yes, a middle schooler. That alone can exhaust a woman.

Ministry is what I love, but puts me over my I-can-handle-this threshold. Right now, because of snow days and missions weekend and a women’s retreat rescheduled, I have to teach three times in the next 5 weeks. I’m still pretty new at this regular-teaching thing. I’m feeling attacked, anxious, and ashamed that I don’t trust the Lord more with my burdens.

I do pray, but I must admit that I withdraw within myself, am short with my family, eat too much sugar, and walk around with low-grade anxiety at all times, especially in the 5 days before I teach. I also try to control my external surroundings, knowing full-well that my insides are out of control.

How about you? How do you manage your burdens and your weariness? Do you take it out on your loved ones? Withdraw? Explode? Complain? Pray? Trust? Eat??

Let’s do two things here.  (See, I’m preaching to myself here, too.)

1. Let’s cut ourselves some slack. We are dust after all (Psalm 103:14). Let’s show ourselves some compassion, because God sure does (Isaiah 30:18).

2. Let’s follow Moses’ example. He had himself a nice little meltdown, but he didn’t call a friend and whine, eat too much chocolate, or lock himself in the bathroom (am I the only one who does that?). He cried out to the Lord.

Here’s how God responded:

 “The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders… They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.’”                               Numbers 11:16, 17

Don’t you just love Him? He’s not a harsh Master (Matthew 25:24-25); He’s a loving Daddy (Luke 11:11-13).

God sent help for Moses. Help for the weary and burdened. For Moses, it was some buddies. God sent seventy elders to help manage the workload.

For me, when I am burdened and overwhelmed, God does a few things for me.

1. He reminds me that He will help me. One of my favorite verses in this season is:

Do not be afraid… I will help you…         Isaiah 41:14

I am buoyed knowing that the God of the universe is ready and eager to help me.

2. He encourages me just to keep going. Often when I am weary and burdened, I shut down and freeze. I stop working all together. The Lord urges me to keep going, keep working. Because perseverance is so important. When I see progress, even small progress, I am encouraged. And progress breeds more progress, and eventually I see ripened fruit. And that helps me persevere the next time.

3. He sends encouragements: from His Word which speaks directly to my soul, or from a friend who reminds me that someone needed to see me (http://sarahbessey.com/needed-see/), or a sermon that speaks life into my death, my discouragement. Sometimes he sends an actual person in the flesh, to help fold my laundry or keep me company while I catch up on pots and pans, or my husband who reads my stuff and gives me super helpful feedback.

How about you? Are you weary? Please share with us, so that we can be encouraged by your testimony. So that you can be God’s help to us, the weary.