August 4 – Tired and weary

And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves” - Mark 6:31-32.

There's a quote from John Dryden that describes the spiritually weary to a tee: "“I am sore wounded but not slain, I will lay me down and bleed a while And then rise up to fight again”. These words were from an old English folk song - an 18^th century ballad written in memory of Sir Andrew Barton (privateer).

I remember the feeling well. Some years ago I was bone weary spiritually, physically, and emotionally. I was caring for my mother who, following a heart attack and massive stroke, had developed a form of vascular dementia. (This occurred on top of my father's death after five years with Parkinson's disease and dementia). At the time support from the church I was attending, was non-existent – apart from one member who, armed with a bottle of home-made grape juice and Jamaican ginger cake, faithfully visited my mother once a month to play our organ for her while she sang her favourite hymns - dementia she may have had, but praise God, she never lost the ability to sing hymns and pray for her family and grandchildren.

I was weary, spiritually weary. I knew all of this wasn't the Lord's doing, but I found it hard to understand why God was allowing this God-fearing woman, whose life had been devoted to Him, His service, and caring for others, to suffer as she was, why was He letting the devil have his way?  Day by day I saw the mother I knew being slowly taken apart as the dementia tightened it's grip. The battle was almost too much to bear, and it wasn't until after her death that I was able to find the spiritual rest I craved. I was wounded, exhausted, beat-up, worn down, and, ready to rest.

If no-one else understands, Jesus does. If you have The Message Bible, turn to Mark 6:31, there Jesus invites these people to “Come off by yourselves; let's take a break and a little rest.” He's literally saying, all will be well, take a breather, let me carry the bags. He fights when we can't. He picks up our bags when we drop them.

Remember the story of David and Zikglag? David and 600 men returned from fighting the Philistines to find a band of Amalekites had looted the village and taken the women and children hostage. Now, if anyone toted baggage it was David. An adulterer and murderer. Ignored by his family. Raged at by Saul, and now the guilt of Ziklag - not being there to defend the women and children. On top of that, his own army wanted to kill him! 

David's only support system was his God. 1Samuel 30:6 says, “David strengthened himself in the Lord His God.” He and 200 of his men dropped their baggage. At Brook Besor they waded out into the creek. Splashed water on their faces and stretched out on the grass. That is what church is intended to be – a place of support and affirmation, that allows for each of us to stretch out - to splash the Living Water on our faces, recover, then rally and march on.

The time came when I was ready to move on, and when I did so I was prepared to fight again with a fresh heart. I had not withdrawn from God's church; I had simply been in the hospital wing for a season and needed a period of recuperation. Every soldier on a battlefield must have a furlough at some point or they won't be able to go on.

Are you tired and battle weary? Go ahead and rest awhile. Then rise up. You too will fight again.

Music “For Those Tears I Died” - LIVE sung by Danny Gaither is today's choice. Click on the picture to listen.