You see it in her eyes, and in that tired smile that works hard to make an appearance.

The light has dimmed somewhere between midnight feedings and stacks of dirty dishes. Or maybe her weariness comes from working 9-5 and then juggling dinner, kids’ practices and bedtime routines. Or maybe she gets up to an empty house and goes to bed in one too—she’s sick of being alone and feels like her prayers aren’t making it past the ceiling.

She’s staring back at you in the mirror.

You grab a cold washcloth and hot cup of coffee—your go-to combination to jolt yourself awake at the start of a new day.

You carry a weight—a worn-out weariness—as you try to do your best with what you’ve been given. You are grateful for your life, yet the daily grind grates on sapped nerves with persistent irritation.

The pressure mounts high like the endless piles of laundry and you’re left feeling bogged down and worn out before the day even begins.

But then—just when you’re ready to throw in the towel—you get a card in the mailbox, or a message in your inbox, from a friend saying that you matter to them.

A stranger stops to complement your children’s behavior.

Your supervisor thanks you for a job well done.

You crack open your bible for 5 minutes and read, “…I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you” (Jeremiah 31:3).

You receive a welcome word and it makes all the difference.

Timely encouragement lifts your tired eyes and infuses sparkle back into them.

Courage words bolster and strengthen your shaky resolve…

I’m over at (in)courage today talking about Words That Lift the Limping. Come on over and find some welcome words for your weary heart.

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