gracefully tired

Life just keeps on going, doesn’t it? This week it’s like a wave of tiredness has crashed into me and my family. You know, the kind of fatigue that is almost palpable and seems so heavy to carry. Exhaustion that so easily results in words grumpily spoken, heightened feelings erupting and a general feeling of discontent. It’s this kind of tiredness that always points me back to the need to find ways to encourage and enable rest for those in my household, to make sure that we stay in one piece and no one does or says anything they’ll regret later. (And yes, that goes for me, too!)

Today marks the last day of Term Two here in NZ. For me, I always find that an element of tiredness sets in as I look forward to having a break from the routine of term time. The thing is though, this year it feels like Term One started as usual right back in January, but then never… really… ended. Until now. Our nationwide lockdown caused the last set of holidays, and (for me, at least) the sense of having a break to slip past us, unnoticed. The world has experienced (and is still experiencing) a crisis, one that has affected us at personal levels in both blatant and subtle ways. Is it any wonder, then, that we’re feeling so shattered?

I titled today’s blogpost, “gracefully tired.” The way I see it, we all have seasons, days or times in which we feel tired. And unless we find ways to recharge, refresh and rest, we will continually. Run. Out. Of. Steam. Being gracefully tired, in my opinion, means being able to acknowledge the tiredness while also finding grace for your soul, and extending that grace to others, as well.

Today I enjoyed connecting with friends over coffee, in the sun, while our children played. And now that we’re home again, even though there are golden rays streaming through the windows and the skies are a rich shade of blue, I can sense that need within me to curl up somewhere and ignore my to-do list for awhile. Perhaps I’ll find a good book to read. Gracefully tired. That’s what I’m aiming for. And that’s why I insisted that all of my children, along with me, had a full hour in separate parts of the house, independently, this afternoon. I’d like to say that it went beautifully, but let’s be real… we were all tired…

I love the promise of 1 Corinthians 12:9. ‘But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’ When we are tired and weary, God offers us His grace. It’s waiting there, within our reach, ready for the taking. We don’t have to have it all together, we just need to rely on the One who does. That, right there, is the real key to being able to be gracefully tired. Even – and especially – when we don’t feel like it!

Wherever this blog finds you today (whether planning for a holiday, wishing for one, returning from one or somewhere in between) I encourage you to pause and consider what it is that you really need, in order to hit the recharge button in your life. Not only what everyone else needs, but what YOU need. What refreshes you? What invigorates you? Can you plan for some time “off” life as usual that gives you the chance to do some – or even one – of those things? I’ve learned over time that a conscious mental shift and a purposeful change of rhythm can make all the difference. Especially if – like us – going away on holiday simply isn’t something you’re able to do at the moment.

My prayer for you (and me!) today is that you can experience grace for your soul, no matter how tired you feel. That you might be able to find ways to be gracefully tired, and to rest and recharge, so that you can bounce back again, invigorated and ready for what is yet to come.

Kristy x

Not sure what this is all about? Learn more about Soul Graces here.