They couldn't believe it. It couldn't be them. How long have they been here for?

John raised a hand to their cheek, their rosary wrapped around their wrist dangling heavily. The thing in the mirror can't be them.

"The greatest courage is to be true to yourself, even when everyone around you wants you to be someone else."

~ web࿐⭑꙳⭑

Too often our lives are busy. Busy to the point that we’re barely capable of doing everything that we have to do. Everything we’re supposed to do.

We’re running on fumes. Making mistakes. Because we’re exhausted.

When life is like that, the last thing we need is one more thing.

Someone else to please. Another set of required activities. With appearances to keep up. And more have-to’s.

For a lot of us, especially when we’re running on fumes, God can seem like little more than one more thing.

Which can make it easy to take a pass on the whole God thing. Because the last thing anyone wants is more have-to’s.

If that’s our view of God – as one more thing, as more have-to’s – then taking a pass on that makes perfect sense. It’s something that no one wants.

And something that isn’t God.

Today’s Gospel – where Jesus says, “Come to me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – shows us who God really is.

Which is? Kind of the opposite of one more thing. More of what you need. Instead of all the have-to’s.

Today, no matter how busy you are, especially if you’re exhausted, take a moment to set it all down.

Trust God with everything that’s weighing on you. Stop trying to do it all by yourself.

And rest in the One who has been waiting for you from all eternity.