Ugh, Anna, I am so tired. Like a no-nap-will-fix-this tired. ? ? ?
I hear ya! For Mother’s Day, I would like a supplement called “Give-Mom-A-Break”!! A girl can only drink so much coffee!
Ha! My husband was asking what I wanted to do for Mother’s Day and I thought – can I ask for an uninterrupted time to nap??
Yes, you can! I think that’s a brilliant idea.
I’m trying to take care of myself more because I think some of my tiredness is plain physical. So I’m doing some practical things like eating more whole foods, taking some good supplements, and going to bed earlier…and that’s all good stuff, but I am realizing it’s deeper than my health. ?
I agree. It’s deeper than that for me too. I also feel in-my-soul tired. I think some of it comes from negative thinking.
Oh me too. I have been struggling a lot with fear recently and I am realizing that it’s tiring me out. Too much of my energy is going to my what-ifs instead of to the positive things in my life.
I listened to this message yesterday and the pastor said that every fear is draining you because it’s either about not measuring up or not having enough of something. I think my fears are both of those, and they run rampant in my mind, stealing my energy!
For sure. I feel like my mind is always spinning – thinking about what I need to do to keep up with everything and on and on. Ugh. ? I’m realizing lately I need to invite God into my thought-tornado.
Yes! I think that is the key to stop this cycle (or tornado! I love it!). I do feel like I just want to stop the spinning in my mind. ?
I know what you mean. I was just reading the verse – Come to me all you are weary and I will give you rest. And it really struck me that God wants to give me rest even in the midst of the crazy days with my kids. Sometimes I think that in order to come to Him all has to be calm and that is never the case over here!
So true. Calm is rare over here too. And if I try to sneak away from the fam for a little while, I end up feeling guilty about it and then I don’t really enjoy it!
I think that is part of why we are so exhausted. Even if we don’t mean to, we have eight million roles to fill and things to do and people to attend to. I mean, I dreamed of having a family to take care of but I had no idea how exhausted I would feel trying to juggle it all.
And how much pressure I would feel.
Yes! I feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself to be all things to all people. And I admit I have trouble taking time for what I need. Or even just letting my girls watch some Paw Patrol so I can close my eyes or take a breather. I mean, let’s be honest, I do it, but I can feel guilty about it sometimes.
Me too. You know, God did rest on the seventh day! And He called it holy! So I know that He intends for us to rest. And it doesn’t say, “And God rested on the seventh day, but He felt really guilty about it because He still had so much to do!” ?
Ha, that is true! I am realizing that when I allow myself to rest–whether that is lying down when I have a ton to do during nap time or taking some time for me in the evening even when laundry is piling up–it’s a way for me humble myself and admit I am not God.
I never thought of it that way… humbling… ?
It’s kinda like I am saying to God – I need You and I trust You to be enough for me. So I’ll take this time to rest because this is what You have asked me to do and You know what is best for me. ?
Yes — sometimes I think my completed To-Do List will be my “enough”, but it’s not, and anyway that never happens. So in this busy phase of life, I think I need to let God be my enough in the middle of all the undone things.
Soaking in the Truth
Scripture to encourage you:
- “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me — what how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn how to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28-30, The Message)
- “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)
- “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I shall never be shaken…Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” (Psalms 62:1-2, 5-6)
- “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)
- “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Genesis 2:2-3)
Music to inspire you:
Readings and Resources to come alongside of you:
- Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood
- Pressing Pause:100 Quiet Moments for Moms to Meet with Jesus
- Why Moms Need to Rest
- Where to Find Rest in the Weariness
- Proverbs 31: Finding True Rest
- “Do you know why we are so tired? Because we don’t believe God. There is no remedy for your striving apart from finding your identity in Christ. He is your enough, and the degree to which you believe that is the degree to which you will stop striving, stop performing, stop trying to prove yourself. I love this verse in Isaiah: ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in truth shall be your strength.’ It is in our letting go and in our trust that He rescues us. Yet we are striving and we are working so hard for God. Guess what the person being rescued has to do? Trust the Rescuer and cooperate with the process.” Jennie Allen, Nothing To Prove
- “Seeing need and knowing only God can meet it causes us to run full of confidence, which means we can rest rather than strive. When Jesus promises us rest, He almost always is talking about soul rest. It’s why most of the ways we try to rest actually make our insides more chaotic. TV, sleep, Facebook–all fall short because nothing but Jesus can bring rest to the chaos inside of us. Through finding our identity in Him, confidence streams into our souls and empowers us to move creatively and intentionally through this life and somehow rest and enjoy it as we go about epic, eternal, world-changing, supernatural work.” Jennie Allen, Nothing To Prove
Related Posts on Texting The Truth:
Living Out the Truth
Ideas to try:
This is going to be really personal and will look different for each person. But here are some things I’ve found that work for me:
- Ask for it. I ask my husband or mom to watch the kids, and I tell them that I really need a break. Then I do something that rejuvenates me. Maybe that’s going out for coffee with a girlfriend. Maybe it’s getting a pedicure. Maybe it’s just going for a walk!
- Look for it. I snag ten minutes here or there to read, listen to something, put my feet up, or work on my favorite project.
- Talk myself into it. I “let” myself not feel guilty about doing something just for me. Give yourself the gift of caring for yourself and not just everyone around you.
- Don’t wait for it. And by “it” I mean total and complete exhaustion! Don’t wait until you are at that point to make time for yourself. Do it regularly, the same way you would any other preventative care.
- Invite God into it. Ask God where in your life you could find some rest. Ask Him why you are working so hard.
{These suggestions are ideas from novice moms. Sometimes our life situations need more. In that case, seeking out professional help is the right call.}