I Will Give You Rest

Exhausted as she anticipates yet another move, Anni Harry focuses on where we can go to unburden our weary souls.

I am tired.

My family is preparing to move … again.

For anyone that is familiar with my lackadaisical social media presence, or my currently non-existent blog, it shouldn’t come as a surprise, since my husband serves in the military.

Preparing my head and heart for a move is always exhausting. As I recently told my boss, I figure every move offers me the opportunity to latch onto the Litany of Humility, since every new place comes with a new set of introductions to people—introductions to my family, and introductions to who I am as a wife, mother, and Catholic evangelist.

The prospect of moving still excites me, but the build-up to the farewells are always bittersweet.

In the past, I have had readers solicit advice on moving—how can they best help their family, how do I make the adjustment myself, and even what’s the best way to keep things normal. I know a few tricks in my book from clinical days, and live (and relive) the experience every couple years. And, this move, I am at a loss for words.

The thing is, every move is tough. Moving is always going to be a challenge, regardless of whether or not your spouse is in the military.

family packing moving boxes

Moving gives us a sense of loss, and grief over a move is absolutely normal, natural, and expected.

I can wax poetic at how moving offers us a chance to start over, to start fresh, to reassess our priorities, and yes, even purge from an overabundance of collection of toys, clothing, or any knickknacks accumulated. Moving allows us the opportunity to forge new friendships, and challenges us to keep in touch with friends that are now separated from us, sometimes by the span of an ocean, or a continent.

Yes, moving is difficult. It is bittersweet. It is exhausting.

So, I am tired.

Now, I don’t write all this for sympathy. Through all the emotions, thoughts, and exhaustion, one Reassurance continues to surface. It’s the one Constant in my ever-moving life. It’s the Source of Energy when everything is so weary.

All of these feelings and emotions are best laid in the arms of Christ.

Christ, alone, is stretching out His hand, ready to pull us up and help us shoulder the weight.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

That one, simple verse speaks volumes to a soul that feels weighed down.

Whenever life gets difficult, burdensome, or even lonely, it’s easy for us to give in to the heaviness, losing our focus.

When the chaos of life is closing in around us, the image of Yongsun Kim’s painting of Christ reaching through the depths of the water to pull us up is one that is perfectly placed.

Where shall we go to stretch out our hands and unburden our hearts and souls?

The weight of the world, and the weariness of the world, melts away as we approach Jesus at Mass and in the sacraments of the Church.

Jesus is there, waiting with His arms outstretched, ready to help us breathe a little, perhaps shed a few cathartic tears, and rest in His embrace.

woman meeting Jesus as he carries the cross

In the Mass, Jesus speaks to us through Sacred Scripture, through the priest, within the parish community, and He comes to us through the Eucharist. All of our senses are engaged, and yet, they are also invited to rest in Him at the same time.

Christ’s comfort isn’t one that can always physically be felt. Yet the embrace of the soul we receive through the sacraments is one which is spiritually felt.

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The weight of the world, and the weariness of the world, melts away as we approach Jesus at Mass and in the sacraments of the Church. #catholicmom

A soul at rest is one which will lead to peace and energy.

However, to be a soul at rest means we must seek our Lord actively and intentionally.

It means showing up, even when we are at our weariest, and placing our burdens into His waiting arms.

God is a most loving and most merciful Father, and He only offers us comfort, strength, and love.

The question is, are we ready for His healing energy?

Are we willing to take His outstretched hand?

Are we ready to be pulled into His embrace?

As we enter this month of February, dedicated to the Holy Family, let us each ponder the weight we are carrying, our exhaustion, and how the Holy Family can guide us closer to the One Who eases all burdens.

Let us commit to stretching out our hand to our Savior, asking Him to give us the energy to spread faith, hope, and love.

Sacred Heart of Jesus statue with arms outstretched