Dear God: We are so ‘over it’ with all you have thrown at us

Sometimes these days I find myself saying, “I’m over it.”

Our joke in the Woodland United Methodist Church office is that we should get some shirts that say, “2020 — I’m over it.”

I imagine in these last few months you have felt this. From COVID-19 to fires to heatwaves to political division, there is so much for us to contend with. The storm of 2020 just seems to keep on going and for many, we are just plain over it.

There is an exhaustion that I sense from so many. I know that I feel it. It is an emotional, physical, and spiritual weariness that comes from the weight of all that we are dealing with. This weight causes lack of sleep at night and exhaustion during the night. It causes us to be short with each other and easily annoyed. It makes us overly critical of ourselves and others. It brings out the best and maybe the worst in people. The bottom line, it is a lot to contend with.

I wish I had a super prayer to pray that would make it all go away.

I do pray that God would put out the fires, heal us of COVID, and help us to have political conversations that actually affect change. While God answers our prayers, often the answers aren’t exactly how we want would hope they would be answered.

The storms don’t always go away when we pray them away. No, God usually ends up entering the storm with us and being present in the midst of the storm. You can be assured that the God who was present in Jesus, is a God who is in the midst of all of this. God knows and feels the weight that you and I feel. God is here, God is present, and God is walking with us.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Come to me, all who are weary and burdened. That’s me and that’s you. That’s all of us. Jesus says come to him and yoke up with him. Come to him and walk with him as we walk together through this. In doing so, our burden becomes his burden and in turn that weight can feel a bit lighter and bit less exhausting.

I find that daily I have to start the day by saying, “Jesus take this burden from me, walk with me today.”

Along with this, I have to take time for myself. Time to stop, to slow down, and to just be still. I encourage you all to do this on a regular basis. Pause, be still and pray for God to be with you.

One of the ways that Jesus lightens our burden is by working through others. You and I can be the present Christ for many as we allow God’s grace to flow through us. Yoke up with Jesus, and in turn, be Jesus for others. Seek kindness, seek patience, seek love, seek understanding, and love neighbor more than ever. We are all struggling and your act of care for a friend or stranger might just be what they need today. Maybe go even further and call someone, send a card, and say a prayer for the people in your life.

I want to end with a prayer for you to pray as you feel the burden of these days.

Dear God:

I confess that I am just plain “Over It.” I am tired, I am frustrated, and I am at the end of my rope many days. God of peace and comfort, would you be with me in this time. Would you take my burdens and would you give me strength, hope, and encouragement to get through each day? Help me God to love my neighbor in new ways and to be the grace that they need through this time. Help us all to feel your love and mercy as you strengthen us.

AMEN!