Mrs. PIE

Tired But Standing: Finding Strength in Exhaustion

• Shelley Jeffcoat • Season 4 • Episode 126

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We explore the theme of perseverance through exhaustion while giving ourselves permission to rest and renew. This month of May, we're focusing on continued showing up while practicing necessary self-care to avoid burnout.

• Isaiah 40:29-31 offers three prayer points for the tired soul: asking for God's power, praying for weary youth, and waiting on the Lord
• The importance of admitting when we're emotionally and mentally exhausted rather than pushing through
• May represents grace as the fifth month in the Bible, making it an ideal time for renewal
• The concept of "triple grace": grace with God, grace with people, and grace with divine assistance
• Setting boundaries by taking breaks and saying "I'm not available" without lengthy explanations
• Looking back at previous testimonies and journal entries for encouragement
• Resetting your mind, body, attitude and tone through intentional rest

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Speaker 1:

no-transcript, feel like this year is taking off, but I'm so grateful. So here we are in the month of May and I'm just going to look at my notes really quickly and I'll tell you something. When I was trying to prepare this morning for it, I literally felt like I could just read the title of today's episode, the title of today's episode, and you would kind of understand where I'm at, where the title for today is I'm tired, but I'm still here. I'm tired, but I'm still here. So for the month of May we're going to, our theme is essentially, keep showing up. But I just want to say something really quickly so that there's a little bit of a disclaimer.

Speaker 1:

Okay, when I'm talking about keep showing up, good morning Ebony, good morning, good morning Dr Tracy. I'm doing better at saying hi y'all when I'm talking about showing up, I don't want us to take this out of context. If you're tired, if you're emotionally tired, I'm definitely not telling you that you need to push through. That's a cycle of crazy that I did for myself and it did not. It ended up hurting and harming me where I was just trying to boulder my way through things and I didn't take the pause, I wasn't slowing down and that's crazy. So I don't want us to just push through, especially us Black women in our nature, to just we just keep going right. I want us to allow ourselves this month of May maybe it's just for the month of May, but we're going to allow ourselves to take pauses and rests and breaks when we need it. And so self-care this month might not be something that's external, meaning you know, we get the, the, the, the manicures, the pedicures, all the things. Maybe self-care this, this month, is going to be us taking things just a little bit slower because a lot of us are again, I've not mentioned community but all of us men, women, black, brown, everybody that a lot of us are just emotionally tired, but we're still here, we're still having to show up.

Speaker 1:

So, before I go further, I am going to go into scripture, I am going to go into Isaiah 40, 29, and I'm going to share my screen because there's just a few verses that I wanted to share this morning. Before we do that, lord, we just thank you for allowing us to see May, allowing us to see another month, and some of us are just dragging into May, where we're making it, we're just barely making it into May and some of us are excited about this month and we're filled with all the joy and all the hope and all the creativity and all of the things that we're excited about what's to come, whatever we are. And I ask, lord, that you'll meet us in that mindset this morning, lord God, but that you'll just help us and, for those of us who are just looking for some, looking for rest, some looking for encouragement, some looking for inspiration, that they'll find it in your word today and that you'll just remind all of us, lord, that you'll just remind all of us, lord, that you are our helper, holy Spirit, so that you'll be with us and you show us and speak to each of us according to your will today. Amen, all right, I gotta pray first. Right, come on. So there's this scripture and I'm pretty sure a lot of us I'm saying pretty sure because a lot of times you know kind of it is what it is. A lot of times you go to church and the scripture comes up. So I'm not telling you anything you don't know.

Speaker 1:

But for those of you who are might be newer to you know, maybe newer to reading the Bible, okay, maybe this is a reminder for some, but I really love this scripture Isaiah 40, 29 through 31,. Obviously the A Shelley version, known as the English Standard Version. He gives power to the faint and to him who has no might. He increases strength. Even youth shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted. But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles and they shall run and not be wary, and they shall walk and not face. So, a holy spirit, just give me wisdom now to break down what it is, according to your, your word and your interpretation, for us. So, again, I mentioned the scripture because it's a kind of an easy one, quite frankly, for, uh, bible teachers, um, you know your pastors, your apostles, whoever, whoever it is you, you know title people, you know people with no titles at all, but it's an easy one for us to make reference to. And, and I and I'm coming back to this one because it is, it is encouraging, I think the one thing that I want to point out in this particular scripture and again, I always say it's really important to understand the context and where this falls in but nonetheless I want to say this is the first thing that the he that we're talking about is we're talking about the Lord, okay.

Speaker 1:

A lot of times we depend on each other and we depend on friends and family to kind of lift us up when we're tired, and that's okay. Kind of lift us up, you know, when we're tired and that's okay. But there are times when you, honestly, you really have to give. There's some things that happened in April that I have zero intention of bringing it into the month of May People, places and things. I always talk about those three things. There are three things that I refuse, you know, when you cross over into a new month, because when I come into a new month I'm looking for new opportunities and new ideas and new encounters and more blessings and more ways to serve. So I'm not bringing the carcass of anything that didn't work well in April, if it didn't serve me the month before, it's not serving me in the month I'm in, and so I just want to encourage you.

Speaker 1:

But when it talks about the Lord, you know giving power to the faint and to him who has no might, don't miss what you're asking here for. So when I I I pray this scripture out. You know, I use it as a prayer point, if you will. And I asked the Lord, you know, give me power. You know, give me power and increase my strength. Ask the Lord, you know, give me power. You know, give me power and increase my strength. No-transcript.

Speaker 1:

And in verse 30, when he talks about even youth shall faint and be weary. Young men shall fall, exhausted. But this is a point here that I just even want to remind parents and now I'm going to talk about youth in the sense of even our children. I mean, our children could be 30, 40, whatever, right, 12, right. But I want you to you know, in the same way that that we get tired as adults, our kids get tired too. So I want you this month to pray for your kids and, you know, ask the Lord for your kids, who may be weary and exhausted. And the truth is they are, they really are. So verse 30 is I'm going to ask you this month, as a part of your prayer points is to lift up the youth, youth and the young men in your life, okay, and pray for them, those who might be weary and exhausted.

Speaker 1:

And then verse 31 is going to be a little challenge for all of us because it has that W word that really none of us like. It says they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, and so there are things that we're going to do this month that's going to require us to hold up. Okay, it's going to require us to wait when we hear from the Lord and it says wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, Meaning we're not going to do or make decisions or go places without the Lord directing us, so that we don't burn ourselves out. We're not going to have conversations with people. We're not going to make contracts with people, we're not going to make arrangements with people. We're going to make sure that anything that we do is in alignment with what the Lord is showing us and telling us to do.

Speaker 1:

And I think this is where a lot of us kind of burn out and tap out because we say, oh, I haven't heard from the Lord about this thing. I really don't know what I'm supposed to do. So you're living in that cycle of doubt and I tell you, when you're at peace, when you're settled in your spirit, you hear more from the Lord, because you're not speaking over his voice, if you will, you're not trying to create the opportunity for yourself. I have the kind of life where I don't beg for anything, I don't beg for nothing. Okay, the Lord will go before me and bless me and he does use people to do that. But in that same way, in the midst, while I'm waiting, I'm working, I'm serving, I'm doing the things the nuts and bolts, if you will, the things that he'm supposed to do, that I know I'm supposed to do.

Speaker 1:

So waiting doesn't necessarily mean that you're stalled. There's still an action. Think about it this way If you're at home and you're waiting for a phone call, you're not going to stop breathing, right? So there's still something that you're doing. But renewing your strength and mount up with wings like eagles and run and not be weary, and walk, and shall walk and not faint, those are some of the things that come as a result of you waiting for the Lord. So I want to encourage.

Speaker 1:

So again, there's three different things here in Isaiah this is again Isaiah 40, 29 through 30. Remember y'all I have people who listen to the audio version so they won't see the screen, so that's why I have to keep repeating what I'm talking about. But verse 29, again, just using this as a prayer point Lord, give me power. Give me power and increase my strength. That is your prayer point for this month, every day, okay. The second point is that we're praying for our youth. You know, praying for those who are weary and exhausted. And you know, if you don't have children, maybe you've got God children, niece and nephew, maybe it's just your neighbor's kids, you know.

Speaker 1:

Focus on praying, praying this prayer point and then the verse 31,. You know again where we're waiting, lord. I want to hear from you this month before I make any decisions, before I make any calls. You know you open the door for me, you show me what to, what to do, and I am listening and and renew my strength while I'm waiting to hear from you. Lord, god, right.

Speaker 1:

So that's, that's the uh, that's the prayer point, and I think, again, I'm gonna stop sharing my screen now. I'm gonna come back to the room there. I'll tell you something. It is um, oh, it is Tracy. Oh, my gosh, sorry. Okay, see, dr Tracy. So three. So, by the way, if y'all don't know, three Praying Sister is our phone line. It's free and I didn't realize that. I'm sorry, but the theme for this month is renewal and perseverance. Strengthen us, lord, for our race and our journey, amen, amen. So it's really important, right? So thank you, lord, for that confirmation.

Speaker 1:

So I just again, you know, if you are in that position where you just feel like you're tired, can I just say something? It's also okay to admit that you're tired. I am tired, okay, I'm emotionally, maybe not physically, but I'm definitely emotionally and mentally tired. So I take this time to go back and say, okay, not physically, but I'm definitely emotionally and mentally tired. So I take this time to go back and say, okay, lord, reprioritize, because if I'm doing anything outside of his will, it exhausts me. Okay. So I want to realign back to what you want me to do, and if I'm not, if it's not something that he wants me involved in people, places or things and I start saying, okay, lord, burn off everything that is not from you, Anything that you don't want me touching any place. You don't want me to go. You know, go ahead, remove it, because I don't want to get involved, I don't want to burn myself out doing busy work, right? And then it's outside of the will that he has for me. You have to be.

Speaker 1:

You know, this year our one word theme is the word discipline. So applying discipline in all of your area. But I just, I wanted to just come in and encourage all of us who might be feeling tired right now. I really want, I really want us to take, you know, to kind of take a step back this month of May and it's okay to do that y'all to regroup and renew so that we don't burn out when we come to June. Okay, this month of May, may, the number five in the Bible okay, not even as a spiritual word, the Bible number five represents grace.

Speaker 1:

So for me, the month of May is one that's also powerful, because this is where I see God's grace multiply my life. I know that for me OK, maybe not for you, but for me that I am grace. I have what's called triple grace. I'm grace with men, I'm grace with heaven. I'm grace with angels, meaning I'm grace. He sends his angelic ministry to help me. That's how I'm able to be in 10 places at one time and not burn out. That is because the Lord uses his angels to minister onto me. That's how I can show up and teach, right. I'm graced with men, meaning I'm graced in my corporate job, I'm graced in this ministry. I'm graced with heaven, I'm tapped into heaven. So triple grace.

Speaker 1:

And so whenever you come to meet me or you come to any of our prayers or any interactions that we have, there's a high possibility that you're going to leave a little bit different than you met me. It's just a part of the nature one, but part of the gifts too that I have. So the month of May meaning month of May, the fifth month is my month of grace. This is where I get renewed. So thank you again, tracy, for bringing that up. So this is also the month where I get renewed, and if I don't allow myself that time to be renewed, it means I'm not listening to things that I would typically have listened to. I'm not involved in anybody's gossip. I literally I'm like ghost town, you know. But this is a time period for me to renew myself, and so I want to encourage y'all if y'all still hear Ebony and y'all hear Dr Tracy and anybody who's listening that I just want to encourage you that this is the time that you start to get renewed.

Speaker 1:

Go back into the word spending time with the Lord. You know you have to. It's not just praying, it's not a monologue. You need time to listen. So you're meditating, slow down, slow down, just a little bit right, slow, slow down just a little bit so that in this month of May, you know you can't have, you know how the word again.

Speaker 1:

We always talk about eagles and people get. You know, some of y'all get mad at me when I talk, when I keep saying everybody is an eagle, everybody want to claim to be an eagle and you're not. Okay, you know you're not. But to have wings like eagle, to be able to be mount up, it means to have that eagle, that perspective. It means that you are separated and separated and you're doing things. It shows up in the natural that you're a leader, that you're inspiring people, that you're making impact. You're doing all the things. I know who I'm talking to on this replay, who's going to catch it? Okay, but you won't have any power, right? You won't have any power if you burned out. You won't have any power come June if you're burned out in May, okay.

Speaker 1:

So I'm just urging y'all to just take this month to focus on the grace, the grace that he's given you, amen, the absolute grace, the gift and talents that we have. He's gracing us. The divine favor that you have is because of his grace. Divine protection that you have is because of his grace. The Holy Spirit working through you on your job or in your community, or in your marriage or in your friendship, is because of his grace. It's a gift. It's not something that we truly earn at all. Right, I can't. I am the most broken and chipped vessel. But he chose me and then he's graced me. But I have to be in a position where I can rest and I can be renewed and I can hear and I can be again in order for my wings to flap like an eagle, sometimes I got to go into rest mode.

Speaker 1:

So I just wanna encourage y'all for those who are tired, but I'm still here, meaning that you still have hope, and I don't want you to lose hope although you're tired. I don't want you to lose hope although you're not getting the news that you wanted. I don't want you to lose hope because people are disappointing you. I don't want you to lose hope because your bank account isn't showing what you thought it would, or that your business isn't doing what you thought it would by now, or that you're having a little trouble with your kids or your kids' fathers, or none of that. I don't want you to feel tired because of what's happening in your community. I don't want you to feel tired because of what's happening in this government. I don't want you to feel tired because of the people you work with. I don't want you to feel tired.

Speaker 1:

I want you, this month, to rely on his grace. I want you, this month, to rely on just the goodness of God getting you through it. I don't want you to burn out. I'm begging you, please, to use this month as a time to just pull back just a little and focus on him only. I'm going to ask us to be just a little selfish this month for those who are tired, so that we will make it Okay. And it's okay.

Speaker 1:

If anybody judges you, it's not their business. Tell them this is between me and Jesus. If you've got to cancel out and not attend something this month, okay, because you're not emotionally equipped to do it. It's okay to say you know what? I'm not available this month, I'm not available. You don't have to give anything more than that. I'm just I'm not available, y'all, and that's it. You got to do that, right?

Speaker 1:

So Isaiah 40, verse 29 through 31,. He gives power to the faint and I'm just praying that this is going to bless you, whether you're again for work, for home, for life, for anything, and that God will give you triple grace, triple grace, triple grace, right. The grace with God, the grace of men and the grace with angels his angels, right Not us, not us praying to angels. That he discharges his hosts, that they will minister onto you, that you'll get everything that you need, that everything that was locked before is open for you this month, that you'll see the grace of God and that he will even move. You know, move mountains on your job, those colleagues who've been, you know, testing you and all the things. I mean.

Speaker 1:

There's so much going on and people are so they're so frustrated, the loss and the news of a job loss. I know my videos are on LinkedIn. There are thousands of people who are getting bad reports that they're losing their jobs, and I know that you're tired, but you're still here. I don't want you to tap out. I want you to rest. I want you to be renewed in the month of May. I don't want you to quit. Don't quit this life. I want you to rest so that you can be renewed, so that when we get to June, y'all, we'll be ready to go.

Speaker 1:

So, father, I thank you for every soul and every person under the sound of my voice who's feeling so tired this morning, whether it's emotional or mental, physical or even spiritual, and they're just looking for a period of renewal and rest. I pray that this is the month, lord God, that you will speak to each of all of us, lord God, and first of all, as we're waiting to hear from you, that you'll reveal to us day in and day out, whether it's through dreams or confirmation or encouragement Maybe you'll send it through the voice of a child, an adult, anyone, lord God, that you'll send them a word that will help them to be reminded of you and that you will show up, that you'll give us all the power that we need this month, increase our might and our will, lord, god, lord, I thank you for those who are just trying so hard. They wanna have a relationship with you and I know, lord, that you'll not let us be put to shame in any place that we go in, especially the marketplace. So, for those who are God, who are in the marketplace and they're feeling worn down on the job because of the conflicts on the job, that you'll even, lord God, step in and give them your divine favor this month, that they will see your grace with men that their names are in rooms that some of them would never enter. That you will give them favor and protection. For those who have lost their jobs, lord God, who are waking up to a Thursday morning with bad news or bad report about their income, that, even now, that you will give them rest so that they don't respond in the wrong way, and I ask that you'll continue to open doors and put them in the new position. I thank you that, when you close one door, lord God, that you give us the opportunity through many others, and that you will do that for us this season.

Speaker 1:

For those who are just feeling drawn and tired, lord God, that you'll speak to them. I pray for our children, our youth, our adult children, lord God, who are weary and exhausted about what's happening all around them. That you'll help them, lord God, those who don't see a way out. That you'll give them a different vision, lord God, that you'll give them a different vision. Lord God, that you give them inspiration and that you'll bless our children for generations to come. And, lord, for all of us who are waiting for you. So many of us are waiting to hear from you concerning all the things in our lives, lord God, people who are waiting for medical reports or financial reports or job reports or anything, lord God, people who are just waiting for direction. Some people are just waiting for things to calm down. Lord, that you will not I know that you will not disappoint your children and so, lord, I'm asking that you will give us those words, you'll accelerate the timeline, you'll send us your help, you'll send us divine protection this month, and that you will show up in a different way because of your grace on our lives in the month of May. Thank you, lord, that when we finish this month, lord God, that we're going to look back, y'all, we're going to look back at this month and be like that was the best month ever. We are in the month of May and when we come back, week after week, there's a couple of things I want to share with you that, listen, we're going to make this a good month of May.

Speaker 1:

The first thing that really encouraged me on our Facebook prayer group. So we have a come out of the wilderness Facebook prayer group. That's where you can find us, ok, and on there I forgot, because this is automated and every month it asks us to give a testimony. So for y'all who you know again, you're welcome to join is free. We don't ask no season, it's all good, right.

Speaker 1:

But for those of you who are looking for a little bit of encouragement, maybe just start replaying your own testimonies. What were some of the things that you can testify to that happened that were good for you in the month before? That's the only thing I do when I look back at the previous month. So I was so encouraged by the Facebook prayer testimonies. The second thing is, if you keep a journal or prayer journal, now's a good time to leaf back and look at what the Lord has done Again. Sometimes we got to be reminded of the blessings and what we came out of, and that will encourage you to keep going forward. Right, that's the, but I'm still here. I'm still here because I know God is still God, ok.

Speaker 1:

And then the last thing is, like I said before, it's okay to take a little bit of a break. It's okay. You have to reset your mind, reset your body, reset your attitude, reset your tone, all the things. It's okay to take a rest, all right, all right, y'all. So that's what I had. I hope that blessed you. It definitely blessed me. I needed it. Don't forget, today is Thursday, so our prayer phone line is open. At one o'clock, seven o'clock, eastern standard time. Three praying sisters, including Dr Tracy, with a shout out. Thank you so much, y'all, for watching. I really hope you have an amazing rest of your Thursday. Be kind to yourself. I know you tired, but we still here. We hanging in there. All right, take care. Bye, y'all.