Rising from the Deep

“Sleep doesn’t help if it’s your soul that’s tired.” – Anonymous

Dear Risers,

How are you doing today? Are you fully awake? Did you rise and shine this morning? Or are you feeling tired? Can I answer first? I’m feeling exhausted. And yes, maybe it’s because I’m low on iron or went to bed after 2:30 am, like the insomniac that I am, but the moral of the story is that I have been low-functioning this week.

As a society, we charge our phones, tablets, and whatever else we use that has a battery, but what are we recharging ourselves with?

I have come to find that the main reason I cannot sleep at night is because my thoughts race so aggressively in my head that my spirit cannot possibly rest. My mind is exhausted day after day with my endless to-do-list and then at night, it is restless with thoughts of unproductivity and feelings of shame. We really are so hard on ourselves, aren’t we? I have a feeling I’m not alone. Other people may be burdened by disappointment, flooded with fear and anxiety, or crushed by sudden grief. If this is you, you have my heartfelt prayers.

But no matter the cause, perhaps the reason we cannot sleep is because we are not being filled up with what our souls desperately crave and require. Cars need gas and phones need a recharge, but what do we need to keep ourselves going? Love and encouragement from others? Those things sound nice. Discipline? I could see that. While those ideas are helpful, what is it that will truly calm our minds and nourish our souls?

I know what it is for me and while it’s not my place to answer for everyone else, I hope that my readers will draw parallels.

I’m a Christian, and while that label may make some people feel uncomfortable, what it truly means at its core is that I wholeheartedly trust who I believe is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and of you and me, with my life. He is the omniscient, holy, and all-powerful God. I don’t believe solely in the universe. I believe God created the universe. I don’t believe that He laughs at our pain. I believe that He loves us through it and even has the power to take it away. Does He allow us to feel pain? Yes. Does He allow the pain that we feel to change us for the better and transform our circumstances? I believe that too. Ever hear that He makes beauty from the ashes? That’s what I’m referring to. 

Isaiah 61:3 – To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory.

But I don’t just refer to Him as God, though that is one of His names. I call on the name of Jesus because in the form of the Son, I believe He died on the cross for my sins and rose again on the third day. Question. Did you recognize that word that is so crucial and unique to this blog? I have to give it a shout-out. Let me say it again: rose – as in rising. Because He first rose, we can too. 

But let’s get back to the point. As a Christian, I often feel beat up by this thing called life. Honestly, just as a human alone, with the added challenges of being a Christian too. 

I feel drained by the ups and downs of life, the pressures and temptations of society and culture, and the darkness that feels as if it’s overcome the world, even though it hasn’t.

So what am I supposed to do with all of that weighing on my shoulders? Lately, it’s just felt heavy and when we’re carrying loads that are heavy, we get tired, almost to the point of collapse.

I think that’s why we hear about people overdosing on drugs and alcohol, being rushed to the psychiatric units of hospitals over suicide attempts, and succumbing to fits of anger and other temptations in desperation to cope. It’s just too much at times. We need another way.

I’m a firm believer that when we try to rely on ourselves for strength or even other people, it’s not enough. We need more. We need something sufficient. So what is it? It’s the spirit of God in and through our lives. His touch and His power is enough to nourish and sustain us.

Even as a Christian (here’s my confession), I’m still not perfect. I still forget. I still struggle. I still cope. But I’m at my strongest when I pray. I’m at my strongest when I put my faith, hope, and trust in the Lord. God is my anchor. I can rely on Him when I can’t rely on myself, my parents, my friends, or even my husband. God is it for me. He sustains me every time. He refills my cup, and even when I don’t quite understand why or how, I still trust Him and I know that He’s going to make a way. 

Here are a few tips to help you through the exhaustion you may be feeling right now.

Pray

I know this may sound foreign to some people and obvious to others, but no matter how you view it, just do it. Prayer is a powerful tool to use when we’re feeling weak and helpless because only God can give us the strength to keep going and the help we need when we’re on our knees in desperation. Consider creating a prayer closet or an intimate space where you can write scriptures, affirmations, present prayers, and answered prayers on post-it notes or pieces of paper you can tape to a surface (e.g. windows, mirrors, walls).

Isaiah 40:29-31 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Psalm 54:4 Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

Journal

Sometimes when we’re feeling emotionally drained and exhausted, we don’t have the ability to manage our thoughts as they race through our heads. A simple way to process is to write down all of our thoughts and emotions instead. Writing it all out provides relief because it is a way to get all that we’re feeling out of our system versus bottling it up. 

You can even journal your prayers. When we’re feeling especially weary, we may not possess the energy to get down on our knees to pray or speak aloud to God, so writing down our prayers is another alternative. 

Be still and rest

Resting can look like different things for different people. It could be taking a nap, drawing yourself a bath, lighting candles in your room, or doing a peaceful yet purposeful activity (e.g. completing a puzzle, creating art, playing an instrument, knitting, etc). When you’re emotionally burdened, I encourage you to create an environment that sets the tone for rest. Try to be still so that you can hear the Lord in the quiet atmosphere that you’ve made for yourself. 

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.

Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. 

Read the Bible

The word of God is like a love letter from the One Who created us. Within it are numerous stories about the people of God overcoming trials and adversities against all odds. There are many portions that were penned by those who were going through a hard time and documented their trying moments, crying out to God. I find these excerpts very relatable. But there are also powerful words of encouragement meant to build us up in our faith and give us hope that we too can overcome and rise from the depths of despair. I encourage you to read about Elijah and his story of overcoming emotional exhaustion in 1 Kings 18-19 as you battle your own challenges.

Worship

Worship has the power to break chains. It is a weapon we can use to win our battles. We see it in scripture when Joshua and the Israelites used it as a battlecry in Jericho, winning complete victory (Joshua 6:1-27) and we see it when Paul and Silas were worshiping in prison when suddenly an earthquake broke open the doors of their cell and the jailer came to salvation (Acts 16). If worship can do that for those circumstances, you best believe it can do that for yours.

Psalm 63:3-4 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Psalm 42:11 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

I will certainly be posting more on the topic of exhaustion but for now, I hope that my transparency was a help to let you know that you’re not alone and I pray that my suggestions will make a difference in your life to the glory of God.

Keep Rising,

E