When the frost hit my village and the sky darkened, the homework yelled, Facebook laughed, the laundry fought against music and flickering TV, when the e-mails were a mess between screaming “mommyyyy”s, I was exhausted. When my hunger was angry, my thoughts were happy and tired, my feelings were annoyed with my fatigue and sadness, I became tired. Pictures of threats, criticism, war victims, drug addicts, doomsday prophecies, starving babies and sick fanatics made me tired.

The fact that I couldn’t comfort, encourage, heal or give faith, joy, hope, peace and love to the people, who were grieving, starving, poor, confused, lost, stressed and depressed, made me tired. My eyes were tired and shed a tear of powerlessness which said: “Am I too tired to live?”

Photo credits Volkan Olmez

“Come”, the silence said.

Who? Me?

Come to me, you, who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. (Matthew 11:28-29)

I laid down on my bed and tried to find a word or two.

Come to me when you’re tired, feel weak, exhausted, stressed, impoverished, suffer, are tempted, hate, fear, worry and have doubts, have doubts about everything. Don’t fear!

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12:9)

I give you strength. I equip you. Come to me, and I will give you rest. You shall be like Christ and my Spirit will show you and teach you how you should be, so that you can be like Christ and learn to love your neighbor as yourself, like Christ loves you. He died for you on the cross for your sins, therefore you’re free. Christ is your strength. Come to Him, seek Him, your Good Shepherd, and He will give you rest, peace, love, hope and faith. Trust this. Your sins are forgiven, and the Holy Spirit heals you. Your strength is in me.