Going numb? Be brave...
Simply Lent – 9
That we go numb along the way is to be expected. Even the bravest among us, who give their lives to care for others, go numb with fatigue, when the heart can take in no more, when we need time to digest all we meet. Overloaded and overwhelmed, we start to pull back from the world, so we can internalize what the world keeps giving us. Perhaps the noblest private act is the unheralded effort to return: to open our hearts once they’ve closed, to open our souls once they’ve shied away, to soften our minds once they’ve been hardened by the storms of our day.
I've been holding this quote because I wanted to say something honest and witty when I shared it.
But here's the thing… every time I read it, my emotions get the best of me.
This quote touches a deep place in my soul. I appreciate the gentle way these words address the fatigue one feels when overwhelmed by the details of our world. There are times when it feels impossible to know what to hold onto and what to let go of. When direction is hard to find and fatigue has set in, it is necessary to pull back and process.
After gently touching the core of one’s exhausted emotions, Mark Nepo invites us to think about how to reengage. As if extending a hand, he honors our desire to return even when we carry fragile hearts and weary minds.
Perhaps the noblest private act is the unheralded effort to return…
It is hard work – to face the details of a chaotic and troubled world. This is what it means to be brave.
For now, this is the task before us each day.
So - stay alert, care for yourself and allow others to care for you.
Mark Nepo, Hearing the Cries of the World
