“Alvin Barnes Jackson Mississippi” Being a Light in a Weary World

By Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi

Some days, the road just feels long.

Not because we’ve done anything wrong, but because the weight of the world is heavy, and we’re all carrying something. Worry. Exhaustion. Loneliness. Grief. The truth is, so many people today are weary, and if we’re honest, we’ve all been there too.

But here’s the challenge and the call: Can we be a resting place for others while we’re still finding rest ourselves? Can we hold space for someone else's weariness without letting it down on us? The answer, I believe, is yes. But only if we first turn to something greater than ourselves. There is only one real cure for that deep-down, soul-level exhaustion, and that’s turning to spiritual things to God, to peace, to presence. When I sit still long enough, when I quiet the noise, I’m reminded that spiritual peace isn’t something I create, it’s something I receive. And when I receive it, I’m called to share it.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (Catholic Standard Version)

The rest of the world’s needs won’t come through more hustle. It will come through people who dare to live differently.

People who dare to slow down. And who dare to be a refuge in a restless world.

If I want to help the weary, then I have to be willing to do the inner work first. I have to conquer the selfishness in me. I have to suffer when it’s necessary not as a martyr, but as a witness that pain doesn’t get the last word.

So here’s my daily prayer:

“I pray that I may be a help to discouraged people. I pray that I may have the courage to help bring about what the weary world needs but does not know how to get.”

Maybe you feel tired too. Maybe you're the weary one right now. If so, turn to the Source. Let your soul rest. And when you’ve been filled, even just a little go out and be that peace for someone else. The world is weary. But God is not. And neither are His promises.

 Peace and love,

Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi