Most of us know what weariness is, even if we are not sure about the word itself. Sometimes it gets confused with wary—they sound and look so much alike. Weary means to get tired---very tired. It means fatigue. To be even more explicit, weariness means I don’t want to see that again, feel that again or deal with that again. To be wearied by something or someone means I am worn out by it or them. No more!
It can come as a form of overwork, lack of sleep or other causes like that. It is a good thing, in the sense that an athlete pushes to the extreme and is weary from the activity. But that is not a good example, because typically the athlete intends to push to the extreme. And in most cases, they enjoy the experience. Weary people don’t intend to get weary. And most of them would have stopped long ago. We get pushed beyond anything we would choose. I like the word, fatigue. Fatigue is beyond tired. I bounce back from being tired. It takes some time to bounce back from fatigue.
I have been thinking about that recently. Maybe I am experiencing a tinge of it. I guess might be called a pre-weary state! But it asks me to be vigilant---to think about it and watch out. When I ponder all that is going on in our world, it is enough to make us weary. Of course, the Covid pandemic would wear out any good person. I am not sure how all the health-care workers, grocery stores clerks and the little heroes of life have done it. Kudos to them.
Beyond this immediate cause of weariness, there is the civil unrest of our time. I certainly don’t make light of this. African Americans have been wearied by individuals and the system for 400 years. That is a long time to be oppressed. And obviously, oppression would make us weary! When I think of civil unrest, I imagine things other than the appropriate racial consciousness raising. I think of the economic hardships that impact so many folks.
Economic deprivation sounds like a classy, academic way to talk about unemployment, underemployment, and just the fact that too many people are stuck in jobs they don’t like and don’t see any way out. I have been most fortunate. I have not had one of those jobs since college days! I bagged groceries and cleaned the floor in one job and drove an oil truck in another one. I knew no one who wanted either job! There were days when I came home weary of the whole bit.
Again, weariness is more than simply getting tired at the end of the day. Weariness is the new mother being awakened for the God-knows number of times to breast feed the little darling. She is sleep-deprived and who knows what else, but no one else can do it. Again, I never had to do that. I watched others in my family do it. I could help---some. But I could not substitute. I could turn over and know it was not something I could do.
No doubt, we could continue to grow the list. It is easy to exhort others to stick with it. This is what the Apostle Paul does when he tells us in Galatians, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (6:9) I look for answers, rather than more confirmation that people get weary. I already know that---Paul notwithstanding.
What should or could we do if we are weary? Maybe the real answer is nothing! Or if you cannot manage nothing, then do a lot less. I actually think that is pretty good, general advice. Just spend some time being, rather than focus on doing something. Many Americans could learn something here. And I have traveled abroad enough to know it is likely good advice beyond the shores of the US.
I always like what John Muir has to offer in his book, Magnificent Tramp. This naturalist says this about nature, “In this silent, serene wilderness the weary can gain a heart-bath in perfect peace.” I realize I am tempted to describe the world we live in as a wilderness. But Muir turns that around. For him the wilderness can be a good thing. It can be a place of refuge. To recover from weariness, we need to head to the wilderness.
Muir assures us in the wilderness we can be attended to. I love the image of a heart-bath. There we can step out of the storms of our world. In the wilderness we find peace---perfect peace. Muir suggests wilderness is a place of hospitality and healing. It is where we can find ourselves again. We can overcome the disorientation of weariness and become oriented again. In Quaker language we have a chance to become centered. It can be a place of grace.
This is wonderful to know. I can look out my window. I see a little stream, trees and quietness---if one can see quietness. It is and can be seen as my wilderness. I can see it and use it in healing ways. Hopefully all of us have access to such a place. If we don’t have it literally, then we can create an internal place of wilderness.
Weariness is not final; it just seems that way.
It can come as a form of overwork, lack of sleep or other causes like that. It is a good thing, in the sense that an athlete pushes to the extreme and is weary from the activity. But that is not a good example, because typically the athlete intends to push to the extreme. And in most cases, they enjoy the experience. Weary people don’t intend to get weary. And most of them would have stopped long ago. We get pushed beyond anything we would choose. I like the word, fatigue. Fatigue is beyond tired. I bounce back from being tired. It takes some time to bounce back from fatigue.
I have been thinking about that recently. Maybe I am experiencing a tinge of it. I guess might be called a pre-weary state! But it asks me to be vigilant---to think about it and watch out. When I ponder all that is going on in our world, it is enough to make us weary. Of course, the Covid pandemic would wear out any good person. I am not sure how all the health-care workers, grocery stores clerks and the little heroes of life have done it. Kudos to them.
Beyond this immediate cause of weariness, there is the civil unrest of our time. I certainly don’t make light of this. African Americans have been wearied by individuals and the system for 400 years. That is a long time to be oppressed. And obviously, oppression would make us weary! When I think of civil unrest, I imagine things other than the appropriate racial consciousness raising. I think of the economic hardships that impact so many folks.
Economic deprivation sounds like a classy, academic way to talk about unemployment, underemployment, and just the fact that too many people are stuck in jobs they don’t like and don’t see any way out. I have been most fortunate. I have not had one of those jobs since college days! I bagged groceries and cleaned the floor in one job and drove an oil truck in another one. I knew no one who wanted either job! There were days when I came home weary of the whole bit.
Again, weariness is more than simply getting tired at the end of the day. Weariness is the new mother being awakened for the God-knows number of times to breast feed the little darling. She is sleep-deprived and who knows what else, but no one else can do it. Again, I never had to do that. I watched others in my family do it. I could help---some. But I could not substitute. I could turn over and know it was not something I could do.
No doubt, we could continue to grow the list. It is easy to exhort others to stick with it. This is what the Apostle Paul does when he tells us in Galatians, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (6:9) I look for answers, rather than more confirmation that people get weary. I already know that---Paul notwithstanding.
What should or could we do if we are weary? Maybe the real answer is nothing! Or if you cannot manage nothing, then do a lot less. I actually think that is pretty good, general advice. Just spend some time being, rather than focus on doing something. Many Americans could learn something here. And I have traveled abroad enough to know it is likely good advice beyond the shores of the US.
I always like what John Muir has to offer in his book, Magnificent Tramp. This naturalist says this about nature, “In this silent, serene wilderness the weary can gain a heart-bath in perfect peace.” I realize I am tempted to describe the world we live in as a wilderness. But Muir turns that around. For him the wilderness can be a good thing. It can be a place of refuge. To recover from weariness, we need to head to the wilderness.
Muir assures us in the wilderness we can be attended to. I love the image of a heart-bath. There we can step out of the storms of our world. In the wilderness we find peace---perfect peace. Muir suggests wilderness is a place of hospitality and healing. It is where we can find ourselves again. We can overcome the disorientation of weariness and become oriented again. In Quaker language we have a chance to become centered. It can be a place of grace.
This is wonderful to know. I can look out my window. I see a little stream, trees and quietness---if one can see quietness. It is and can be seen as my wilderness. I can see it and use it in healing ways. Hopefully all of us have access to such a place. If we don’t have it literally, then we can create an internal place of wilderness.
Weariness is not final; it just seems that way.
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