"Blame our exhaustion on a peculiar pride we have in margin-less living."

A thought by Max Lucado, from his book, Begin Again (p. 40). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

That's where we live, isn't it?

Max says, "We are proud of our long hours and late flights. Weariness is a badge of honor. If we aren’t swamped and overworked, we almost hate to admit it.

"The consequence? A society of exhaustion. People pushed and pulled in a thousand directions."

He goes on, "Are you among them? You don’t have to be. Jesus has an invitation for you. 'Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest' (Matt. 11:28 NASB).

"Rest. Isn’t that what we need? Rest for the soul. God has plenty to offer."

Max continues, "The story is told about a poor man who lived in Eastern Europe in the early 1900s. Seeking a better life for himself and his family, he scraped together enough money to buy a third-class ticket on a steamship to New York City. He planned to find work and send for his family.

"Having exhausted nearly all his money on the passage, he subsisted for the twelve-day journey on a wheel of hard cheese and a box of crackers. He looked longingly through the dining room window at the other passengers who ate hot, hearty, delicious meals. He would retreat into his tiny stateroom for his ration of cheese.

"On the final day of the voyage, with the Statue of Liberty in sight, the man found himself standing at the railing next to one of the ship’s stewards.

"'I don’t mean to pry,' said the steward, 'but why have we not seen you in the dining room?'

"The traveler explained his lack of money and dependence upon crackers and cheese. The steward responded with shock, 'Did you not know that three meals a day were included in your ticket? We set you a place every day, but you never came.'"

Max then says, "God has set you a place at his table. You’ve been given more than cheese and crackers. Avail yourself of every spiritual strength and blessing. Heaven knows, we need the help. God is here to give it."

And that is a great thing to know, isn't it?

Yes, yes!

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