I did an internet word search of ‘tired’ and found these two comments:
“I finally got a full eight hours of sleep. It took me four days… but, whatever.”
“I’m tired. Not like sleep tired. Just tired of everything.”
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Vic and Lois were resting in their recliners after a big day. Their children had gathered the whole family together for a 65th Wedding Anniversary celebration, and everyone had a great time. Now, at home, the two of them were reminiscing about their long life together.
Lois said, “I’m so proud of you, Vic.”
Vic, who had already taken his hearing aids out, replied, “What did you say, Lois?”
Lois said again, louder, “I’m so proud of you, Vic.”
Vic again said, “What?”
For the third time, Lois said, now with some irritation, “I’m so proud of you, Vic.”
Vic, thinking he finally understood, was quiet for a moment. Then, he said, “Well, I’m getting a little tired of you too, Lois.”
Ah, come on, Vic! What a way to ruin a wonderful day! Keep your hearing aids in next time.
Vic’s bad hearing made for an ill-timed comment, but he was probably speaking a truth that most married people would acknowledge at least part of the time. No two people, no matter how much in love, can live for 65 years, or even one year, without getting a little tired of each other, at least once in a while.
What is true of marriage, is true of all of life. We get tired. Of course, we can get tired from too much work and not enough sleep; but there are many other ways to get tired. We get tired of other people, but then we also get tired of losing people. “We can’t live with them, and we can’t live without them,” did not become an old cliché for no reason. We get tired of the hard work it takes to get along, tired of conflict, tired of being misunderstood, tired of saying or doing the wrong thing and feeling guilty, tired of receiving no apology when one is needed, tired of apologies not accepted, tired of seeing loved ones not get along, tired of getting hurt, tired of the lack of forgiveness, tired of old grudges and tightly-held resentments… and then, one day, we are getting tired of saying good-bye to all those we were with on this brief journey through life.
And, we get tired of life itself. We get tired of worrying. We get tired of being disappointed. We get tired of ourselves. We get tired of making mistakes. We get tired of the same old thing, and then we get tired of too many things changing. We get tired of the sorry state of the world. We get tired of the battle.
Old Vic’s timing was bad, but he spoke the truth. We get tired… of everything; not always, but often enough. There is much in life to get tired of. Novelist Samuel Butler said, “Life is one long process of getting tired.” Our body can get tired, and we can feel better after a good night’s rest. But sleep doesn’t help much when it’s your soul that’s tired.
There are a few things we can do when our soul gets so tired. First of all, we can acknowledge that we are indeed tired. Speaking for myself, I know it is quite wrong for me, as one who has been so richly blessed, to even sometimes be tired of this good gift of life. I should be ashamed. But one need not make it worse by denying the truth of the matter. So, a good place to start is with confessing our sin of ingratitude. Confession of sin is always a good place to start with God.
Then, one can turn from ingratitude to gratitude. The old advice to ‘count your blessings, name them one by one’ is still as good as ever. If you are getting tired of what you have, learn to appreciate it before it turns into what you had; because then you will appreciate it, but it will be too late. Someone once said, “The greatest things in life are often the ones we notice only after we imagine living without them.” So, use your imagination. Think of a close loved one, and imagine if they had died yesterday, and the grief and loss you would be feeling today. Then, be grateful you can still talk to them. Imagine that you had a car accident yesterday, and today you learned you will never walk again. Then get up, walk around the block, and be grateful. Imagine a massive power-grid failure in your area, and then be grateful that when you turn on the light switch, it works. Use your imagination.
Learn to expect trouble, disappointment, and sadness. This ‘vale of tears’ is not our home; we are only passing through on our way to our heavenly home, as we used to sing in the old hymns. The better we have it in this life, the more we expect from life, and even from God; but to have such high expectations is not a proper Biblical approach to life. Tim Keller writes:
The unstated assumption of many people is that it is God’s job to create a world in which things benefit us. This belief, however, inevitably leads to bitter disillusionment. Life is nasty, hard, brutish, and always feels too short. The presumption of spiritual entitlement dooms its bearers to a life of confusion when things in life inevitably go wrong. (Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, p. 115)
Remember the truth about this life, and remember the promise of eternal life in God’s good home. Trust in the Word.
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Genesis 27: 46 — Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life…”
Psalm 119:25 – I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your Word.
Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Isaiah 40:29a – He gives strength to the weary.
Psalm 73:26 – My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Jeremiah 31:25 – (God says), “I will refresh the weary soul, and satisfy the faint.”
Matthew 11:28-30 – (Jesus said), “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
John 16:22 — Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
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A prayer for the tired:
Heavenly Father, I come before You just as I am– tired in body, heavy in mind, and worn in spirit. You know the exhaustion that rests deep within me. You see the weight of responsibilities, the disappointments, and the silent struggles that have drained my strength. Lord, I confess that I cannot do this on my own. I need Your sustaining grace, Your gentle presence, and Your renewing power. Your Word says that You give strength to the weary and renew those who hope in You. When my body feels weak, be my strength. When my mind feels overwhelmed, be my peace. When my heart feels weary, be my comfort. Teach me to rest in You. I trust that you are my refuge, my strength, and my ever-present help. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
–Adapted from prayers at: http://www.missionariesofchrist.com
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