It goes without saying that life “is” – or – – certainly “can be” – very stressful.
As a matter of fact, I think it is “safe to assume” that there is not anybody who will not one day – find themselves – bearing a load – “too heavy for them to carry!” We just get pulled in too many ways and seemingly all at once!
It also goes without saying that “none of us are self-sufficient,” however strong or weak or rich or poor or well educated, we may be.
All people need release from what can be a very stressful existence. The side effects are many and numerous and continuous…
Pure and total exhaustion is but one reaction…but at the very same time for some of us:
We roll. We toss. We become frantic!
We talk in our sleep. Some of us even walk in our sleep. We grind our teeth.
We clench our jaws.
Our minds are not quieted. We lay awake for hours. Sleep is or becomes elusive! So we lay awake listening…for the sound of the clock…or for sight of the anticipated dawn…We watch the alarm clock. Our minds break the silence of the night. We drift in and out. We are hard on ourselves. Some of us are reliving the past. Others of us are concerned about the near present or the distant future. We worry about things over which we have no control. We brood. We over think…We replay things over and over again. We analyze and then, re-analyze. We question. We panic. Even old grudges and old hurts resurface. We play the “what if” game. We take our work home with us. We work in our sleep. We carry our relationships into the sub conscience level. We distress ourselves even in our sleep. We worry… we fret…we ponder…we become fearful and alarmed. We tighten up. Our muscles spasm… We upset ourselves and sometimes carry it over into the next day. It is or can be – very distressing and very alarming.

And it is all, so very human. Very human… And very much a part of the rat-race existence and our feeble attempts at perfectionism and doing the “right thing” on a regular basis…being all things…for all peoples…answering every call…and attempting to please everyone…

Now…
Consider…

…comfort, refreshment, rest and hopefully relaxation. I mean “who” wouldn’t covet a little fresh mental or physical strength or energy? A little rejuvenation would be a good thing…

This is the time when people’s expectations run high…This is the time of year when people hope to get some refreshment…

Most of us hope to slow down a little, play a little more…have more fun, have more time, doing those things that WE desire to do…here in what is already …mid-summer…to refresh ourselves and the people we love.

So sometimes, our expectations exceed what is reality…we expect too much…our goals become unrealistic…
We build things up…we make them bigger than life – we set ourselves up for all kinds of falls…and crashes…and disappointments.

We plan all encompassing trips, if we can afford them. Or, we relax at home, if we cannot.

We drag. We are tired. We need a break…we desire a little refreshment and a little comfort…

Just a little – is all we ask for…

And to this, Jesus says, “Come to me…” This section is purely from the Gospel of Matthew…there are no other parallels to it.

All of us human beings carry enormous and sometimes overwhelming burdens in our lives. Sometimes those burdens are a lot heavier than at other times…

In the gospel of Matthew Jesus is saying, take my teachings…take my life…take my spirit…take my way of life and learn from me…instead of learning from the Pharisees and all their religious interpretations and legalisms.
Learn from me. Live in the moment!
They say no, no, no, no to everything.
To which Jesus says life is much more simple. Love God. Love your neighbor…and don’t forget about yourself in the mix. Love yourself too!

Worship God and practice mercy is all I ask…don’t make things so complex. Don’t make life so hard on yourself.

In the storms of this life that are part and parcel of our daily lives, we get a sense and a feeling that we can find rest in the spirit of God, in the presence of our Heavenly Father.

All of us need rest, the place where we can go to recuperate and gain new strength for the next day’s battle.
Jesus invited us to find, rest, calm, healing and reassurance in him. We all need a place for inner healing.

Jesus simple says, “Come to me.” “I am here for you.” And the best part is, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age!”
Come to me…and find your rest and your strength!