When we are weary...

My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.
~ Psalm 119:28
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A common conversation I have with my patients I see is the fact that most people don't understand the amount of energy it takes to be ill.

Even the most mundane activities can wear a person out when they are very ill, or in the final stages of life.

I remember telling someone during my own health crisis years ago, "You don't realize how easy it is to die, and how hard it is to live."

Realizing the struggle that many have, sharing this with those I spend time with suddenly finds they can talk openly about their situation. "My daughter just thinks I should be able to do this," one woman shared recently.

"She just doesn't understand that even on the day that the aide comes to visit to give me my bath, I am just exhausted when the aide leaves and all I want to do is sleep afterwards. She still thinks I can then get up and join her at the table for lunch."

When I asked her if she had told her daughter how she felt, she shared that she didn't want to let her down.

​Rest is something we all need, especially when we are weary. According to the dictionary, weariness is our way of showing we are tired. It is an outward sign of an inward problem. The psalmist shares of a weariness that is caused by sorrow, which then reminds us that while our body may become tired, or weary, our soul can experience such things as well.

When our soul becomes weary, then it becomes a spiritual issue. Finding rest for our soul means that our need to find a place where we can encounter God in a unique way. It is like discovering that special place in the woods, or that favorite chair, singing the perfect song, or that verse in scripture which then becomes a source of strength. It is sharing our spirit with God and one another in a way that allows for prayer and intercession to happen.

It is when we realize the need for our soul to be cared for that we can then begin to experience healing, hope, rest, and strength in a new way. May we all discover the way to overcome the weariness we may be feeling.

Stay in God's grip!

G. Todd Williams (c) 2018