Refreshments, Anyone?

 “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” Jeremiah 31:25

I had a good friend tell me one time that she had no clue how I did all the things I did and not be overwhelmed. I sat back and thought about what she had said. To me, this life – all my activities and chores; even my past excursions – have made me who I am today. I have been doing these things for so long, having daily routines that cover a myriad of activities so that I do not feel overwhelmed or weary. I liken myself to the farmer who rises every morning at 4:00 a.m. to tend his farm. Although I admit to not ever rising at 4:00 a.m. I do have a set time for doing things and all that I do, I enjoy and am at peace.

One of my other good friends told me she thought I was amazing because of all I do. I do not 

feel amazing, in fact, I feel wonderfully ordinary. When I was younger I was always told that it
was my responsibility to become someone extraordinary and forge a path for others to follow.
Where this path might lead I had no idea. Most of those expectations melted away when I
became pregnant just like an ordinary young woman acting out. As I matured, I found a wonderful new hobby – people-watching. There is nothing more entertaining to me than to sit in the local mall's food court and watch people rush here and there through the corridor of shops. You learn a lot about people that way. But now I have wandered off topic.

Back to refresh the weary and satisfy the faint; what an amazing promise! Even though
my daily life is routine to me, there are still times when I become so tired – when my daughter
turns into a stubborn mule and we butt heads all day long; or when a puppy is feeling under the
weather and I am up and down with her for several nights straight. Being weary can drag on my
immune system and after a time I start to feel the effects. I am getting much better at going to
the cross as soon as the first signs of weariness set in. I used to tell myself I could handle it, I
did not need to bother the Lord with every little thing. As I have grown in my faith and become
more comfortable in my place with Christ I have discovered that He encourages us to come to
Him with all trials and worries no matter how trivial.

Psalm 55:22 says just that, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never
let the righteous be shaken.” (NIV) When weariness starts to take over, everyone in my
household knows. No matter what I am doing, if I start to feel weighted down I will put my praise
and worship music on and start singing and dancing. My students are starting to realize I am not ignoring them when I pop an earbud in and go into my own zone for about five minutes. My player has a mix of music on it but my favorite playlist is my praise and worship music. It revives my soul and gives me the energy to keep going. Through His word and music that praises Him, I am renewed. His promise is fulfilled every time I ask for Him to help me and take care of me.