Matthew 11:28-30The Message (MSG)
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
I love the heart and compassion in these famous words said by Jesus to the crowd, including his disciples. It reveals that he knows and understands the stresses and strains that we carry, wounds and weights that we are not intended to carry in isolation in our heads. His solution as the best therapist there ever was, was to simply offer the relational invitation to come closer, talk to me, don’t go back into your head and try to solve and be responsible for all this by yourself.
Humble yourself by coming closer and admitting that private individual self assessing and problem solving won’t cure this fatigue. It reminds me of Albert Einstein’s quote “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” I also love the assumed safety implied in the invitation to come near, come close. The same words he told to his disciples in Matthew 19:14 “Let the little children come to me “, words full of safety, care and affirmation, instead of judgment and fear. If we are going to let go of our worries and preoccupations that we are so attached to, if we are going to explore changing and growing, finding a relational place of safety is always the first step.
Just like recovering from any deep trauma, safety is the first needed step. Like the oxygen rich chamber you need when you have been down too deep and tried to come up to quick. Here Jesus is offering this safe space to breathe deeply, to share and to learn of more gentle and sustainable practice of life.
I came across this prayer last week which carries the feel of this safe coming close, and unburdening oneself and I gave myself permission to add a few of my own words to the prayer. I hope you enjoy it and find yourself using it as you take Jesus up on his invitation to come close.
I need to Breath Deeply
by Ted Loder
Eternal Friend,
grant me ( Brent’s words – a softening, a trust, a conviction of safety, a letting down my guard, a letting go of too much weight and responsibility, a gentle gracious forgiveness I can own and hold, a sense that it’s ok, that I’m ok )
an ease
to breathe deeply of this moment,
this light,
this miracle of now.
Beneath the din and fury
of great movements
and harsh news
and urgent crisis,
make me attentive still
to good news,
to small occasions,
and the grace of what is possible for me to be,
to do,
to give,
to receive,
that I may miss neither my neighbour’s gift
nor my enemy’s need.
Brent Unrau, MA, RCC
Contract Counsellor, CCCA