Difficult Seasons

One of the books I’ve been reading is a commentary by Edward Fudge on the New Testament book Hebrews.  While scholarly, it reads more like a devotional book, which is what I’m using it for.

Last night I was reading the portion of the book that deals with Hebrews Chapter 4, which talks about entering the Rest of God. The point that jumped out at me was that we enter this rest only when our work is done.  Just like God worked for six days creating and then rested on the seventh day, our work will be ongoing until it’s done and then we will enter God’s “Sabbath” rest.

Perhaps the reason this jumped out at me is because several friends are struggling with seemingly unending times of difficulty.  John Dobbs wrote about the stormy days that he and his family have been going through.  In addition, just before I was reading Hebrews last night, I had read a note from a friend about a new difficulty their family was having to deal with — on top of other ongoing challenges.  And just to be honest, I’m a little worn out myself by some of the challenges we have been dealing with.

So here are some thoughts that occurred to me as I reflected on this portion of Hebrews:

1.  This life can be difficult.  We can look back and see how God has gotten us through difficult times in the past, and know that He will do the same in the present and the future.  But these difficulties wear us out.  We get tired — physically, mentally, and emotionally.

2.  Sometimes God relieves us of a difficulty.  A week ago, the doctors had given up hope for John’s father-in-law.  This week he’s at home recuperating.  My dad doesn’t require chemo or radiation for his bladder cancer.  You have similar stories you could tell.

3.  Sometimes God doesn’t remove the difficulty and challenge from our lives.  Our daughter Sara continues to suffer from a number of medical conditions that can be temporarily disabling, in spite of fervent prayer by so many.  You have similar stories in your life.

Our tiredness from dealing with these ongoing difficulties and challenges, however, does serve to make the Rest of God seem so much more desirable.

Rest is a wonderful thing to look forward to after our work here is finished.

I’m tired as I write this on Sunday night.  Being tired makes me grumpy.

I just opened a letter from Chevron, the company I retired from, that wants me to provide information that proves I am married to my wife of 41 years.  If I don’t do so by May 27, they’ll stop her medical coverage.  They’re trying to find people they’re providing medical coverage for that they shouldn’t be in order to save money.  So they’re threatening some 50,000 people to get the information they need.

Providing a few facts is not really a big deal in the grand scheme of things.  But when you’re tired, you don’t care about helping them.  It’s just something else you have to do that has a deadline.  It’s just someone else wanting some of your time, some of your energy, that’s already in short supply.  And just someone else threatening you to make sure you give it to them.

So when I finish this post, I’ll go fill out the form and stick it in the envelope.  Tomorrow I’ll mail it.  I’ll do it because medical coverage is important.

But frankly, Chevron lost a chunk of goodwill with me because of the way they did this.  I don’t enjoy being threatened, bullied.  I would have been a little happier if they’d said something like, “We understand what a pain this is, but we really need your help.”  But they didn’t.  They just said, “Do it or else.”  Or that’s the way I read it because I’m tired.

I tell you this story to ask two questions.

1. Is there a way you can conduct your business that creates less demands on the people you serve, or that at least recognizes the intrusion you are making?  Goodwill is a precious commodity to squander.
2. How do those of you who are always worn out because of full-time caregiving or illness — not just occasionally like me — deal with the barrage of demands that come your way?

How I Feel When I'm Tired

My personality changes when I’m tired.

I do a pretty good job of hiding that change from most people.  But my family, who knows me best, picks up on it.  Mostly because I get quiet, distracted, and sometimes seem grumpy.

When I’m tired, little things bother me, things that otherwise wouldn’t.

Like the aggressive way people were driving this afternoon on my drive home.  Their lack of patience becomes my lack of patience.  When I’m rested, I’m better able to deal with traffic, to stay calm.

When I’m tired, I have a harder time being optimistic, being upbeat.  It’s easier to get down on myself.  To get down on others.

I don’t like this personality change.  Fortunately there’s a way to prevent or at least minimize it’s happening.  I have to have my rest.

It’s the reason for Sabbath.