“Come to me all who are weary and burdened, & I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you & learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, & you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy & my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-29
I hear this word “Weary” a lot throughout the bible and in discussion. It’s not a modern day word. People don’t go around saying “O, my weary soul!” like they did in biblical times. So what does it mean in today’s terms? How do we explain this verse to others when we don’t understand the words ourselves? It’s an important verse to keep in the back of our minds. It holds so much meaning. Not only does it show us God’s steadfast love for each of us; but also his devotion to obtaining the peace of our souls; & His tenderness and kindness.
The dictionary defines weary as “physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion, strain” or “impatient or dissatisfied with something”. Synonyms would be fatigued, tired, spent. Ok so yes someone can be physically weary, like they worked out too hard or overworked themselves at their job. But I want to focus on being mentally weary and how this verse has played a big role in my life over the last few weeks.
Let’s just say the last few weeks have been some of the most wonderful yet bittersweet weeks of my life. We were able to go on an awesome family vacation 2 weeks ago & celebrate the marriage of my cousin and his beautiful bride. While we created lifelong memories that I will cherish, a few thoughts lingered in the back of my head. “I’m going to miss so much when I leave.” No more family vacations to Florida, trips to the lake, weddings, parties, or barbecues. I have had to say goodbye to people that I won’t see until after I return because they live out of state. My best friend got an amazing opportunity to move to Memphis & start a new career. While I am over the moon excited for her, I wish that she could be here with me for the rest of the summer. To say goodbye to her seems unfathomable. On top of all of this, I am busy fundraising and trying to work out the financial part of this trip which in itself gives me more headaches than I can count. I think that weary is exactly the way that I can describe my mental state right now.
I had a moment on vacation where I broke down into tears and anger. No joke, the only thoughts that were in my head were “I can’t do this.”, “Why does it have to be me?”, “I’m so mad at you, God.”, “I can’t leave these people for a year.”, “This is too hard.”. After I had settled myself emotionally, I went to read my devotional that I had skipped that morning. In my Jesus Calling devotional for June 4, here were the first few lines.
“Welcome challenging times as opportunities to trust Me. You have Me beside you and My Spirit within you, so no set of circumstances is too much for you to handle.”
Well I think I was still too emotionally wrecked to see what God was trying to tell me at that time. But after a lot of thought and meditation on it, here is what I have come up with. When we are challenged, weary, or burdened, it is human nature to stop, take a new path, or give up all together. I think it’s also in my nature to become quite selfish and focus on myself when I become weary. It’s easy to play the “Woe is me” card and forget that maybe God is giving us these challenges and burdens to see how we handle it or where we put our trust and faith. Will we rely on our own understanding & strength to get through it? Or will we grasp God’s hand, cling to His Word, and pray that He stay by our side through the tough times?
I can’t sit here and say that my souls is free from weary and burden. I also can’t say that every time a new burden arises that I bring it straight to Jesus and ask for strength and understanding. But I can tell you that when I begin to bask in the presence of our Lord, there is an insurmountable peace that overcomes me. Those fears, worries & burdens that I thought I could never bear begin to feel bearable. The load becomes tolerable. My faith grows a little more each time and I begin to trust him even more.
These next few months are going to challenge me more than I have probably ever been challenged in my life. There are going to be more goodbyes, more last times, & even more questions about what the next year will hold. I know that I will never make it to launch if I try to tackle it on my own. He will always be my strength when I need it. He will provide laughter when I can’t see through the tears. He will provide rest for my soul when I can’t take anymore. All I have to do is go to him and ask. It’s that simple. Our God is all mighty, greater than the world, indescribable, and cannot be exaggerated. Yet he is also kind, humble, gentle, generous, thoughtful, & loving.
Yes, Lord, my soul is weary but with you by my side, I CAN & WILL do anything.
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
Philippians 4:13
Fundraising Update: As of today, I have a little over $6,900. I passed my June goal with flying colors and am looking towards my August goal, which is $10,000. I am so blessed by what God has already provided. If you feel led to donate to my fund, just click on the Support Me tab at the top and donate through the website. All donations are tax deductible!
Some fundraisers that I have going on…
1. Threads of Hope – I am still selling bracelets for the Threads of Hope organization. Half the money I raise will go back to the organization and the other half will go to my fund! Let me know if you would like to purchase any. I can mail them to you!
2. Garage Sale set for June 27th at my parents house in Zionsville! I am collecting items for the garage sale and will come pick up anything that you would like to donate. Message me, email me at [email protected] or text me if you have items!
Thank you again for reading and supporting my journey! I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for your love, support, & encouragement!
Training Camp = 18 Days!!!
September Launch = 80 Days!!
