Are you tired  Worn out  There's HELP! - AnExtraordinaryDay.net

Feeling weary?

See my hand? I’m extending it to you today…

Grab it.  Let me show you how to find the relief you desperately want from your overwhelming pressures.

Life is demanding. We work hard.

The “to-do” list is a mile long. There are people to please and care for.

And then there’s the doing good for God and others, too.

It’s too much!

So I’m offering you help.

 

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me.
Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

These are the words of Jesus.

Do you feel your body relax, just a little, at reading those words?

Oh how we want to recover our lives.

Thankfully, he has a plan for us to get our lives back.

We just need to learn his “unforced rhythms of grace.”

 

Are you tired Be refreshed.  Water on the sandy shoreline.

 

Grace.

Exactly what is grace?

Grace has been succinctly described as God’s unmerited favor.  There isn’t a thing we have done or could ever do to deserve God’s favor.

But, in his goodness, God’s favor/grace is available to each of us.  We just need to receive it.

Ephesians 2:8 says… For by His loving-favor you have been saved from the punishment of sin through faith.  Through faith we receive God’s loving-favor.

God’s grace/favor is for each of us.  The only thing that is asked is that you in faith believe that God is God and that he sent Jesus to earth to take on the punishment you deserve for all the wrong things you’ve done.  Tell him thank you for this ultimate gift of sacrifice and choose today to make him your Lord and guide. When you do, you will become a follower of Jesus and experience freedom like never before.

 

Are you tired Patterns left in the sand by the water.

 

As Jesus followers we are invited to “keep company” with Jesus.  And as we strive after God and not ourselves, he helps us learn the unforced rhythms of God’s unmerited favor.  

I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

I’m not suggesting that God will give you a vacation from your job or make your to-do list or your family go away. But, what he will do is to help you see each of those things through his eyes.  Life is hard… but it’s not meant to be a burden we shoulder on our own. Jesus wants us to walk with him.  Not ahead of him.  He wants us to clear some of the noise from our lives so we can hear him tell us when to stop, when to run, when to pause, when to rest.

God doesn’t force anything on us.

Yet, we take on more than he desires for us because we’re problem solvers, doers, goers, achievers, fixers… We work at being good. We work for approval. We’re striving for attainment rather than contentment. We try too hard.  And that’s where we get ourselves in trouble.  It’s there we become burdened and crippled by all the stresses of life.  In living this way we find ourselves overwhelmed…. it’s not what God wants for us.

 

Are you tired Walk with me--learn the unforced rhythms of grace - scripture from Matthew 11

 

I love how simple he makes it for each of us…

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

If you’re tired, worn out, and guilty of trying to do it all, don’t beat yourself up for it.  Instead, ask God to forgive you for trying to do it all, for not leaning on him, for leading rather than following, for not watching him.  And then receive his forgiveness and get in step with him.  Keep an eagle eye on him.

The best way I know to watch Jesus is to read the Bible.

When he says to walk with me… it’s imperative that we open our Bibles (or Bible apps) to his word each day.  Just like you put lemons into your water to infuse it and have fresh lemon water to drink each day for refreshment… the time you spend reading God’s word infuses your days with him.  That’s walking and working with him.

After being infused with God through his word we are more available to him.  Our ears are inclined to him as well as our eyes.  And as the day progresses, we should be hearing God’s whispers.

All of this is a learning process.  The more faithful we are to take time to infuse our days with him… the more we understand his ways and the more we are open to learning his ways.

Somewhere in the midst you’ll discover an ease.

 

Are you tired Worn Out Breathing fresh air at the Big Lake.

 

God’s way fits perfectly.

I’m not suggesting that you won’t walk through tough times.  I certainly have walked a difficult path for quite a few years now.  But, walking with God and working with him is so much better than trying to do it all on my own.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, tired, burdened down…

Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.

Infusing our lives with him, just as we infuse our water with lemon or fruit is life-changing.  Tasteless water becomes lemon-y or cucumber-y or strawberry-y.  The water of our lives becomes God-ly.

That’s how it is when we get away with God.

He doesn’t mean for us to live plain Jane lives.

He also doesn’t mean for us to be overcome with life.

I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.

 I love this promise…

Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Are you tired? Worn Out? Do you feel overwhelmed and burdened with life?

There’s relief!  Real relief.

 

Are you tired  Worn out  Jesus is here to help.

 

Keep company with Jesus and let him teach you to live freely and lightly.

It really is an amazing way to live.

 

It’s JoyDay!

 

Are you tired? Worn out?  Then it's time for JoyDay!

 

I’m so glad you’re here to join me for JoyDay!  There isn’t anything better than each of us sharing the good things God has done in our lives this week.  Both in the happy and in the challenges.

Will you join with me in counting ‘seven’ from the past week?

I’ll start!

Thank you God for…

  1. your faithful love and care every single day
  2. being able to attend my dear friend’s surprise birthday party
  3. catching up with a “kid” from our youth group and his wife and hearing how God is at work in their lives on the mission field.
  4. getting to spend quality time with Tim’s brother and sister.
  5. getting to the Big Lake and breathing in that wonderful air.
  6. your hand on our car.
  7. our mini vacation.

Now it’s your turn!  

Please join me by tapping in your ‘seven’ in the ‘share your extraordinary thoughts’ section below. I dare you!

Thank you for stopping by and taking time to leave your sweet thoughts.

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Comments

  1. Gwen says

    1. Sorrows led to quietness
    2. A pretty cloud picture a friend sent
    3. Our phone works!
    4. Curt was able to do our laundry
    5. A friend brought us food, another took me to appointments and a third to another appointment
    6. Lots of songs help me. Curt says it my tears, confusion are my injury
    7. One clear day today

  2. Karen says

    1. Vacationing with my family
    2. Hearing our 3 year old grandson laughing
    3. Watching his 2 teenaged sisters playing a game together
    4. Hanging clothes on a clothes line in the early morning
    5. Feeling cool ocean water flow over my feet
    6. “Talking” to my 2 hens in the morning
    7. Sitting with my sweet little Pug in the quiet of early morning drinking a cup of good coffee

  3. Debbi Saunders says

    Boy I needed this message this week!!! I have so missed these last couple of weeks. It was also the most delightful surprise to get your phone call in the Hospital!!!
    I will be hard put to list just 7…… Thank you Dear God~~~~
    l. for my Life!
    2.for taking care of me and my son through all this trauma and uncertainty!
    3.For the awesome Neurosurgeons and staff that did my surgery and took care of me at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL!!!
    4. That I woke up from this surgery completely normal!! Still have to gain strength from the days in bed, which is normal.
    5.That I am gaining strength and getting better each and every day!
    6.For the outpouring of prayer and love from so many different places and people! I will never be able to express the gratitude I feel and how wonderful and special each and every one of you is to me!!
    7. For all the Hope and encouragement, because as Very Blessed as I am, I have had a few emotional moments!
    I AM SO VERY GRATEFUL TO BE BACK VISITING JOY DAY!!!
    Thank You from the bottom of my heart Diane and everyone who joined in holding me up to our Blessed Lord in prayer!!!

  4. Pamela says

    I missed this on Sunday. Amazing since this is the very verse I have been meditating on all week! God has been teaching me how to shoulder incredible stress/work/uncertainty through it by actually not shouldering it alone. Instead being yoked with Him and doing the work in His strength. Also being yoked with other believers in fellowship lightens load considerably. Seven things God has been doing in my life last week 1. Using Matt 11:28-30 to encourage me all week 2. Having the same verses pop up 3 separate times ❤️ 3. Being surprised when our pastor delivered dinner to us. 4. Having a showing on our home. 5. Being invited out by friends. 6. My brother stepping up to help with our mom. 7. Finishing a 21/2 yr project.

  5. thankful for the last supper and Christ’s encouragement to remember him always
    so glad we are all now lice FREE! stressful dealing with that and our seven heads
    finally putting a dent in my laundry after two poomergencies this week
    my daughter turned ten years old and has a strong testimony and a Desire to learn more
    deep breathing in a quiet space
    swimming lessons coming up, cooler weather
    having a youth leader show up offering support for our teen and a waterproof bag for super camp with canoeing

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