The laundry basket was spilling-over full. Muddy paw prints all over the entryway floor. I forgot to start the crockpot (again!) so there was nothing planned for dinner and a rough day at school sent me home with a pounding headache.

I just wanted to close my eyes for a few minutes. Long enough to hopefully feel a little better…

… and I woke up half an hour later. Oops.

I never nap. And yet last week I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t trying to, but I guess I needed it more than I realized.

Sometimes we just get weary. When it’s hard to keep up or the day goes wrong or there’s so much on your mind that you can’t seem to turn your brain off long enough to get the rest you so desperately need.

Physical exhaustion is one thing. When I’m physically worn down I know what I can and should do to feel better (note to self: don’t start a movie at 9:30pm!).

But I find it’s the emotional, mental, and even spiritual weariness that packs a bigger punch and is harder to fight back against.

So what should we do?

Matthew 11:28 is a good place to start… Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

 

The best treatment I’ve found for those weary moments is time with God. To quiet my heart and my mind before Him and seek the peace only He can give. Prayer, reading the Bible, laying my worries at His feet, putting Him first before the other expectations I make for myself of my day.

He offers a soul-satisfying kind of rest that spills over into all areas of life.

You know that pre-flight speech on an airplane,”put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others”? It’s not a self-centered idea. You can’t help those around you if you’re passing out from your own lack of air!

The same goes for motherhood. We can’t take care of the ones we love if we don’t  put on our own “oxygen masks”.

So sit down with Him and breathe deep of the rest only He can give.

 

Series: Encouragement for Moms

Read: Matthew 11:28-30

Remember: Matthew 11:28

Reflect: What part(s) of your day is specifically set aside for your time with the Lord? Do you even have that time? Don’t neglect those moments with Him. It’s when our days are busiest and our minds the fullest that we need Him even more! Added bonus challenge this week – take some time to “pamper and pray”. Treat yourself to something you enjoy (at home facial, paint your nails, extra long shower…) and spend those quiet moments in prayer.