Don't Grow Weary

Have you ever felt weary? I mean truly weary. Weary can mean a couple of different things. Lacking strength or energy because of a need for rest,  being bored or annoyed by something because you have seen it, heard it, or done it for a long time, or being exhausted in strength, endurance, or vigor. I feel like, at some point, we have all been there. We have worked on a project for hours, only to have to start over because something went wrong. Or we have gone over something 10 million times already, and our boss asks us to do it just "one more time." (It's never just one more time...) Or we have waited a hundred years for that guy to ask us out, and then he doesn't. And we have all been so busy living life, and then one day we realize how truly worn down we are.

I'll be honest with you. In this season of my life, I was starting to get weary. This is an extremely busy season for me. With a new job and coaching, I don't have a lot of time to slow down. I absolutely love what I do, but at the same time, I was definitely growing weary. I find it so interesting that God specifically addresses weariness in the Bible. Galatians 6:9 says "Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season [at just the right time] we shall reap if we do not lose heart [give up]." Wow. God literally tells us in this verse that we are not supposed to grow weary. What? God, is that even possible? The world we live in is so busy. And it is very rare for anybody to slow down or take a break. However, if we are not careful, we can let this busyness turn to weariness. "Man, I have to stay up late AGAIN to go to small group." "I really wish my daughter didn't have another game tonight." "This job is so hard. I am so lost, but I have to keep going because nobody has time for my questions." 

I don't always understand why things work out the way they do. Why we can strive so hard towards something for so long, and not see a light at the end of the tunnel. However, I do know that God is faithful. I do know that in the past, His timing has always been better than mine. And His plan and path for me have always been the best. I also know that He will send you encouragements and reassurances along the way, if you let Him. In the past week, I have had two friends, two co-workers, and a volunteer tell me that I am loved, I am seen, and I am appreciated. It was the most incredible thing. There I was, feeling sorry for myself and questioning God's plan and His timing. And at just the right time, He sends those people with encouragement to me. It was as if God was saying, "Lauren, I see you. I see the work that you are putting in. I see how hard you are trying, and I know it's hard. But you are on the right track. You are exactly where I want you. Keep it up. I have never led you astray, and I never will. Trust me."

I am reading Lysa TerKeurst's new book Uninvited. It is rocking my world y'all. It is so good! In the book she gives the example of a ballerina in training. She talks about how that ballerina may have a bad night on the stage, but the next morning, she gets up and goes to practice again. Her instructor tweaks the things she needs help with and gives her encouragement to keep going. This is our relationship with God. We may have a bad or tiring day, but we come to the Lord each night and ask Him to help us tweak things and give us the strength to keep going. Yes, it's tiring, but He is with us every step of the way. And in the end, it is our instructor's view of us that matters most. It's His opinion and His encouragement and His strength that we should be continually seeking.

So in the weariness, don't lose sight of who you are working for! Don't give up when it gets hard or when you feel that weariness coming. God sees you. God knows the work you're putting in. God is preparing your harvest. At just the right time, he will encourage you. And at just the right time, that harvest will come.