Bone Tired…

We returned from our trip out east last Thursday evening and since then, Janet and I have both worked non-stop to catch up on all the things we had to do upon our return. Things as simple as unpacking the car to preparing for the fall season and doing some much needed yard work. It’s difficult to believe how far behind you can get when you are out of town for even a brief period of time.

Couple that with the end of the calendar quarter in September and all the business reports and documents that have to be filed to fulfill government regulations and you can see how hectic things can get. I am sure that I am not alone in wishing there were more hours in the day…

And then we have Halloween coming in several weeks and the beginning of the holiday season. To be sure, I have already seen Christmas displays in stores and soon the pressure will be on to begin Christmas shopping. In fact, I know many folks who have already started their seasonal purchases. For the record, I am not one of them – I am so busy that I haven’t even started to think about the holidays yet.

But back to the current situation – work and the time of year and trying to squeeze so many activities into our lives are causing most, if not all, of us to feel the stresses associated with work overload. Companies are cutting back on their employees – trying to do more with less – and this is causing additional pressure on families as they also struggle with the realities of unemployment and trying to make ends meet on very limited resources. Parents feel compelled to enroll their children in all sorts of activities – mostly sports – and spend inordinate amounts of time transporting kids to and from events on all sides of town.

It’s tough for families to even find time to sit down and eat dinner together. We just don’t have time to do the important things because we are so consumed dealing with things that, in the ultimate analysis, aren’t all that important. But we just won’t get off the “hamster wheel” – and we are tired beyond words – “bone tired” – as my mother used to say. My grandmother put it another way – she used to say that she was “all in.” I knew when Grandma used those words, she was done for the day and needed to rest.

Well, that’s how I feel at the end of this week-end – bone tired – all in… But when we get that way, God is there to help us. Our verse for this evening is from Jesus and His invitation to us. He tells us, through the Gospel of Matthew, in Matthew 11:28-30, “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.”

My encouragement this evening is that Jesus wants to assist us with our burdens. He has broad shoulders and invites us to lean on Him when things get beyond our ability to handle. My prayer is that you will take Jesus up on His invitation. As God of the universe, He can handle more than any of us can possibly imagine. And Jesus doesn’t want us to struggle needlessly. While we need to be pruned from time to time, never forget that Jesus loves us and is there for us throughout all eternity. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…