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“You are my place of quiet retreat.
I wait for Your word to renew me.”
Psalm 119:114 (The Message)

Soul Weary – Widow Weary

Have you ever seen a three-year-old toddler have a meltdown? If that toddler happened to be yours at one point in your life, I bet you might have seen it coming. Overly tired, maybe a little hungry, needing a nap… and too many errands to run with the adult in charge — the perfect storm.

Meltdowns for us widows can be attributed to some of those things — just on a larger scale.

A Different kind of tired.

Since becoming a widow, have you experienced a different kind of tired? Does sleep and rest come like they used to when life was normal and shared with your husband?

Are you able to be honest with those around you or do you at times ‘pretend’ that things are fine?

I’ve always known the most heard answer to the most asked question in this world, “How are you?” has never rung true most of the time. The answer — “Fine”. But now, if hooked up to a lie detector machine, would that quick answer make the graph go crazy?

What can influence our answers when asked how we are doing?

If you are like me, and I just happen to be feeling like that toddler on a hard day, the decision is quickly made that you will not burden the one who asked with an ‘at-the-moment’, gut-honest response.

It takes great energy to carry the ‘look’ of “I’m fine” all the time doesn’t it!

Do you ever feel like you can walk this journey in God’s strength only to hit a strong wave of grief that knocks you off your feet? Maybe you are simply tired!

How do we find our rest when rest is what we need?

Our rest will ONLY be found in JESUS.

Jesus knew the importance of rest. Do you remember the story of the prophet Elijah?

In 1 Kings 18 verses 22-24…

When Elijah met Ahab, he told him…

“I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire—he is God.”

We know who won. The prophets of Baal were defeated!

In 1 Kinga 18 verse 38…

“Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.”

It was time for a victory celebration, but instead, we find Elijah in the middle of a meltdown, paralyzed in fear from a warning received by Jezebel.

One moment, strong and mighty in the Lord, calling down fire from heaven, the next sitting under a broom brush telling the Lord, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life.”

When Elijah went to sleep, God sent angels to minister to him until his strength was renewed.

There are times when we are just weary.

Jesus knows that only He can give us rest when we need it.

A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

“Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.”
Hebrews 4:1 (NIV)

What might cause us to fall short of the rest Jesus offers?

I believe we tightly hold onto so many things in the palms of our hands — trying so hard to get it all done.

• Treasures of our lives – past and present
• Worries and responsibilities assumed with the loss of our husbands
• Fear for our future
• Questions about our purpose

And so many other things.

In Jennifer Rothschild’s book, “Me, Myself and Lies”, she shares about our tightly gripped hands.

“An open hand is the posture of peace and stillness. We loosen our tight grip and begin to hold the precious things in our lives with an open hand.”

Can we open our tightly closed fists, raising our open hands to Jesus in a posture of peace and stillness?

My sweet sisters in Christ, let’s look to Jesus for His comfort and rest. Like a child who rests her head against her mother for comfort, let it be our Lord Jesus who holds us close with our heads rested on Him.

When you are tired, let Jesus give you rest. He has a purpose for us to fulfill just as He did with Elijah, and He will provide the rest, strength, and direction to fulfill that purpose.

Surely, I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
Psalm 131:2 (NKJV)

Dear Father God, we thank You for Your love, the kind of love that brings rest to our weary hearts. Thank You for ministering to us in those times and renewing our strength. Amen