I "cain't" get refreshed

I "cain't" (ha!) get refreshed lately. I've been carrying a heavy work load and have been overextended and over stressed because of it. And the weariness has remained even as I'm praying against it. I've even been depressed (the real thing) a bit because of it. This depletes my strength to fight the normal battles we go through and the normal battles and hassles take more strength than they usually would. Then I get around other members of the body of Christ in a home meeting or just meeting together for fellowship or going to Sunday church and I come away refreshed. It's happened more than once lately and seems to be the way I am geeting my strength these days. Me and a few saints can get together even for casual times of fellowship with no planned agenda and lo and behold I'm refreshed and at a bit of peace just for having been around them and talking a bit about the things of the Lord. The fellowship of the saints is a very rich and precious thing and can minister life. God comes to you through them. I was at a brother's house the other night and after eating we looked at some ridiculous comedy on You Tube and laughed and laughed. I went home feeling well. But it was a brother in the Lord and his wife I was with and we all had a laughing session at the comedy. But it hasn't always been comedy lately. It's just being with other saints and really saying nothing but just soaking in their conversation and life and it's been a healing balm. Times of refreshing spoken of by the Lord can come from others in the body of Christ. It reduces our pride that we are always trong and can get through anything. God hides our answer and refreshing from us until it comes through others. A poem I once heard went something like this,

I sought my soul and it fled from me.
I sought my peace and it remained far from me.
I sought My God and Him I could not find.
I sought my brother and found all three.

God has a rich and wonderful plan that what we might need and cannot find and grasp can be found many times in our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Blessings.

Brother, I almost feel amiss to comment on what you as a male are experiencing. Yet, we are all human and in it we all experience weaknesses that work to destroy us.

I have learned - and I promise that the devil will work overtime to downplay this lesson - that when I take time out with the LORD in the morning my day goes a whole lot better, get a whole lot more done and I have more energy. Even the time spent in Bible study and prayer does not infringe on my productivity - in fact it enhances it. None of this productivity is enhance by 'vitamin supplements'.

I must say that at 68 years of age my productivity is not like a 50 year old but it is reasonable and I know it is where God wants it to be. In other words I am accepting the slow down due to the ageing process.

My opinion based upon my experience.

God is good. And...he is reasonable.

Blessings,

Sandra

I do not know what will help you personally but I understand very long periods of work pressure, during that time isolation and daily rigors that leave you exhausted at the work days end(60-70 hrs plus per week). I could go into more detail but it is enough to know I understand where you are. What worked for me was simple praise, singing alone to Jesus, psalms, prayers and petitions, often this lead me into worship, not always but often. I generally moved from these times physically renewed and mentally sharp again. These times were found in the car driving, home alone, in my head with my full attention focused on Jesus while out in public and enduring great physical pain, really where ever life found me. Love NEVER fails, He is ever faithful. It is normally the simple little things that we forget to do, the casting our cares on Him or just simply inviting Him into our work day and communing with Him in our hearts, regardless I do not pretend to know what God our Savior has for you individually but I do know that what ever it is it will be personal to you, like digging a well in the wilderness, and it will remain with for the rest of your life. God Speed Brother .....Look Up :)