The Antidote for Desperation Weariness

Written by Zan Tyler

A Look Back

I have always loved the Christmas holidays. I love celebrating Advent. I love decorating the house. I love our family traditions. I love the break from our normal killer schedule. I love having lots of company. I love cooking for big crowds. I love the drop-ins and visiting with friends. I even like Christmas shopping, although normally I will find any excuse not to shop. There is nothing about the holidays that I don’t like.

The 2003 Christmas holidays were not what I had envisioned or hoped for. The Saturday before Christmas, I developed a rip-roaring case of the flu and stayed flat on my back for ten days, running very high fever. I don’t even remember Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. My sisters and their families came and went. I never even saw them. 

 But that wasn’t the worst. On December 22 my wonderful mother was admitted to the hospital; she was there for 18 days. I could not see her for almost two weeks, because I was so sick. (Please ask God to grant her renewed strength and health. Her condition is very serious.)

Weariness

One night in the midst of all of this, I was lying in bed, feeling sorry for myself, and contemplating my extreme weariness. That phrase “extreme weariness” reminded me of the following verses I had been studying in Daniel and focused my attention on the Lord, where it should have been all along.

While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before  Yahweh my God concerning the holy mountain of my God— while I was praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the first vision, came to me in my extreme weariness, about the time of the evening offering. He gave me this explanation: “Daniel, I’ve come now to give you understanding. At the beginning of your petitions an answer went out, and I have come to give it, for you are treasured [by God] (Daniel 9:20-23, HCSV).

God doesn’t abandon us or chastise us in our extreme weariness; He invites us to come to Him: “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, HCSB). Daniel reminds us that when we do come to God through prayer, He hears and answers: “At the beginning of your petitions an answer went out, and I have come to give it, for you are treasured [by God].”

Depression

Oftentimes, weariness is accompanied by depression. Again, God does not abandon or chastise the depressed. Hear Paul’s candid confession (without apology) in II Corinthians 7:5-6: “For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus.”

The Solution

When Daniel was weary, He prayed. When Paul was depressed, God sent him comfort in the form of a friend. The combination of prayer and fellowship is very powerful.

Because of the constant demands of school and children, homeschooling mothers often have a hard time making time for fellowship and encouragement. Here are some suggestions that might work for you.

1. Use the Internet for encouragement. Virtual relationships should not be the only relationships in your lives, but when circumstances (homeschooling, preschoolers, sick children) keep you housebound, the Internet can play a vital role in encouraging you to persevere. For example, on the homeschool area of LifeWay.com, you will find the remarkable story of Chris and Tracy Klicka—how they have homeschooled seven children in the midst of overwhelming trials. God’s Faithfulness in Adversity: An Update from Chris Klicka will encourage you to keep on keeping on.

2. Make time for fellowship. Retreats and events where you know you will be spiritually encouraged can be especially motivating and revitalizing. Sally Clarkson’s Wholehearted Mother conferences are coming up in January and February. These conferences are designed to renew your vision for motherhood and family life. (Click here for more information.)

I would also encourage you to attend your state homeschooling convention. These conventions provide you an opportunity to fellowship with other homeschooling parents and hear inspirational and motivational speakers.  For information on the convention in your state, see 2004 Homeschool Conventions.

 3. Stir yourself up. Remind yourself of the truth and why you’re doing what you’re doing. Peter says: “I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder” (II Peter 1:13, HCSB).

In the spirit of that verse, I leave you with the following story by Mike Farris, president of Patrick Henry College, co-founder of HSLDA, and homeschooling father of 10. (This is excerpted from his annual keynote address at the National Homeschooling Leadership Conference.)

There is one scene in the second movie of the Lord of the Rings that Vickie (Mike’s wife) said describes for her the feeling that was being expressed last night.

Froto, who has the mission to destroy evil in the form of this ring, is tempted by the power of the evil. He is about to turn to the power of the dark side, wear the ring, and become part of the forces of evil—because he’s tired of the battle. He’s tired of the battle, so Froto is going to put the ring on. His friend Sam has to slap him around a little to get his attention and bring him back to reality.

Finally Froto in desperation weariness says to Sam, “I know what’s right, Sam, but I just can’t do it.”

Vickie turned and said to me, “I know that feeling. I know that feeling!”  

Moms, there’s a whole spiritual side of learning to depend on God and overcoming that feeling. There’s no human answer to it. But there is a spiritual answer.

Remember, you are the ones that are bearing the rings. You are the ones who are going to destroy evil in this country, because you are training the people who are going to be the reinforcements (in the culture war). You’ve got to stick to it. You can’t give up, even when it’s hard …

We may be the only shot our generation has for bringing sufficiently massive numbers into the public fray … With your continued faithfulness and involvement, I believe that homeschooling is the most strategic thing that can be done to help move America back to her roots of morality, self-government, and liberty—the roots that define our nations’ noble and honorable heritage. God bless you for what you’re doing.    

Looking Forward

Heavenly Father,

We commit this new year to you. We bring You our fears and our fatigue, and we pray that You will fill us with hope and power through Your Holy Spirit. Remind us that You do not become tired or weary. Remind us that “those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

In the Powerful Name of Jesus,
Amen

Zan Tyler is the Homeschool Resource Consultant and Homeschool Editor for LifeWay Christian Resources, on the Web at www.lifeway.com/homeschool. She and her husband Joe homeschooled for 21 years, teaching all of their children from kindergarten through high school. Zan is the author of Seven Tools for Cultivating Your Child's Potential.

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