“Honestly? She’s the easiest thing in my life right now,” I told my husband, pointing to Sweet Girl.
“I see,” he responded and then, “I’m easy too, right? Hey! Why are you laughing??!”
I couldn’t help it—since Sweet Girl’s arrival, we’ve had our moments—but I reassured him that yes, he is “easy.”
It had been a long week after a couple of long months. I felt spent and exhausted from going around and around in circles and not making progress. I couldn’t see a way out of my situation, at least not an easy one. And I wasn’t sure I was ready for a hard one. A timely reminder came via a friend’s social media post: “He gives strength to the weary” (Isaiah 40:29).
In the early morning hour, before the sun slipped up over the mountains behind our backyard, I pondered that verse. He gives strength to the weary. It was a hopeful promise, and it reminded me of another passage where Jesus also extends a promise: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
I’ve always wrestled with that verse. I’ve longed for the rest, but sometimes I find it difficult, as strange as it sounds, to go to Jesus. I decided that I would attempt to apply this verse to my situation to see if I could better understand the verse, get some clarity on my current situation, and maybe, just maybe, experience a bit of that rest.
I prayed and asked God to show me what it looked like to follow this verse. I began to picture myself with my head looking down and resting square against Jesus’ chest. Tears began to flow as I shared my whole heart with him without editing, without stopping until I laid it all out. Relief filled my troubled mind. I felt like I could take a deep breath. I knew Jesus would sort out what I shared. He would revisit what needed to be corrected or redirected. For now, relief. For now, that rest.
And then I went for a drive up the coast. On this drive, I began to listen for God.
You’ve been doing this in your own strength. You’re capable, but I’m not asking you to be capable. I’m asking you to come to me.
It’s all too easy for me to just get stuff done, whatever it is. Most of the time, I am careful to balance my schedule, so I don’t take on more than what I think I can handle. I say yes to the things I know I can do and do well. What I began to realize is that I can easily serve God…without God.
I began to repent and ask for forgiveness for relying on myself instead of God. I could sense God extend grace…and an invitation. An invitation for more. For more reflection. For more redirection. For more shaping. For more of God and more of God’s rest. If I lean into this opportunity, if I accept the invitation, I am taking one more movement step in my journey to follow God. This is really only the beginning.
Movement Step: In what areas of your life do you need rest? Take a moment and place your head square onto Jesus’ chest and lay it all out.
