Warriors

Are you a weary warrior? I’ve been learning from exhaustion. It’s different than falling in bed after a busy day or needing a Friday night reprieve. It’s more than a sore throat or needing to eat more than granola bars. Exhaustion is deeper, as it seeps into your life, pressing on your soul.

Phones rang, and four people were already waiting in my office one day. Papers were piled on my desk, and an unfinished email was waiting. Parents stood gabbing, the band was practicing, and construction workers repaired walls in the adjacent building. My bladder was full, my stomach was empty, and my jeans were the same pair I wore yesterday. I felt my mind collapsing, my spirit willing it to wait! It was the end of the school year and my twelfth year as secretary. I was tired. It was as if the seashore were before me, and I was on all fours, clawing at the sand to pull myself away from the hectic waves. I wanted to collapse in a heap on the shore with the sun glistening over me, kissing my spirit, yet I was too exhausted. What was wrong with me?

Then a woman walked in and softly said amid the noise, “Thank you, Heather.” I looked up with “traffic stress” and asked, “What for?”

“For taking care of all of us all the time and doing it so well,” she said. “You must be tired.”

Tears flooded my eyes, and I buckled in my chair. I was a weary warrior, and it was OK.

There’s nothing wrong with you. Breathe deeply, O precious woman of Christ. The Christian walk doesn’t mean you never get tired. It means you’ve been out serving everyone and tackling everything from to-do lists to the laundry, using everything you’ve got. Women have warrior souls. We’ve been created with poise and power to persevere, plan, rise up, and roll. At times we tire, not from weakness but from living life on this earth. There’s compassion in the tenderness of Jesus, inviting warriors to rest. And on that day, when the skies split and the majesty of angels rushes forth, God will shout, “Thank you for taking care of My people all the time and doing it so well. The Son is glistening over you and kissing your spirit!”

Heather VandenHoven