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Have you noticed that when you’re physically tired, you often do harm to your relationships by saying things you don’t mean, you exaggerate how bad things are, and your performance suffers significantly? Fatigue can have a very harmful effect on our lives. Our friend Fran is facing that issue.
As she wakes on this Wednesday morning, she feels somewhat refreshed by a good seven hours of sleep, but her body still doesn’t want to respond well. “Oh, Lord,” she says as she makes a cup of tea, “I’d give anything to stay home today and get some rest. Maybe I could call in sick. . . naw, forget it. The work would just pile up and be worse tomorrow and besides, it’s not right.”
“Have you thought about why you’re so tired lately?” Jesus asks Fran.
“Well, I have a lot to do. . . I am a single mom, you know. . . and the job is crazy. . . and. . .” her voice trails off.
“Yes, your life is full, but sometimes fatigue is a result of mixed-up priorities,” Jesus reminds Fran. “You know, Fran, one of your recurring problems is your tendency to try to be a superwoman.”
Fran sits down to drink her tea and thinks about what Jesus has said. “I know you’ve told me that before, and it’s true. I like to show off, don’t I? I like to prove I can do anything—leap tall buildings with a single bounce—but I can’t. That’s part of it, Lord, I just want to prove I can do anything.”
“And Fran,” Jesus says again, “you still tend to overdo it sometimes on perfectionism. For example, Saturday you could have rested in the afternoon, but you decided to clean all the closets. They weren’t that critical, were they?”
“Well, I like neat closets,” Fran defends herself, “but. . . I was tired and you’re probably right. My tendency to overdo things still gives me trouble.”
“That ‘happy medium’ is sometimes hard to find,” Jesus says to her with a smile. “I don’t want you to lose your quest for excellence, but I don’t want you frayed around the edges all the time either, Fran. Sometimes you have to say ‘no’ to others and to yourself.”
“Right,” Fran agrees. Later on that day a friend from church calls her at work. “Fran,” Linda says, “we need some help with this year’s seminar. I know you’re not on the committee this year, but could you meet with us tonight and just give us some of your advice? Nobody is as good at organizing as you are, Fran.”
“Tonight?” Fran says, as she slumps in her chair. Guilt starts to set in; she hates to say no; she loves to work with the women, but she’s so tired. Under pressure, however, she tells Linda she’ll be there tonight.
“Fran,” Jesus says to her as she hangs up, “didn’t we agree that before you say yes to another commitment, you’d pray about it?”
Fran realizes she has once again taken on more than she should. So, she quickly dials Linda’s number and bows out. It was painful, but somehow she’s got to teach herself that ‘no’ is not always a bad word!
How about you? You may be tired all the time because you try to be all things to all people. Remember, Jesus has called us to follow him, not to jump through everybody else’s hoops.