By Jim Tune
Author Lettie Cowman wrote about a traveler visiting Africa who hired a group of guides. Determined to make her journey a swift one, she pushed her team to cover many miles the first day. On the second day, though, the attendants she had hired remained seated and refused to move. Frustrated, she asked the leader of her hired hands why they would not continue the journey. He replied that on the first day they had gone too far, too fast, and now they were waiting for their souls to catch up with their bodies.
Cowman reflected, “This whirling rushing life which so many of us live does for us what that first march did for those poor jungle tribesmen. The difference: they knew what they needed to restore life”s balance; too often we do not.”
We all feel it. So much noise. So much clutter. So much busyness. Souls get left behind. I”ve been all kinds of tired. I”ve known fatigue that attacks the body and fatigue that attacks the mind. There is even a fatigue that attacks the will. Sometimes I”ve been slow to admit the worst kind of fatigue””the kind of disintegrating exhaustion that sucks away spiritual vitality””something John Ortberg calls “soul fatigue.”
Psychologist Roy Baumeister coined the phrase “ego depletion” to describe a fatigue that goes beyond normal tiredness. He argues that people in this condition report higher levels of depression and negative thoughts. The brain area that is responsible for self-control actually slows down.
I confess to living in that condition at times. Busyness can be an excellent distraction. Social media, work, clutter, and noise deafen me to the pleadings of an exhausted soul. On vacation last year I decided to take better care of my body. Since then I”ve lost nearly 60 pounds. I”ve increased my aerobic capacity. I”ve never looked back.
Better still is my newfound conviction about soul care. Maybe my physical neglect was in some sense connected to a more serious ailment””soul fatigue. I have chosen to slow down. I”ve resigned from a handful of committees. I”ve committed to times of quiet solitude. And here”s what I”m learning””the ability to do nothing is actually a sign of spiritual growth.
Blaise Pascal wrote, “I have discovered that all the unhappiness of men arises from one single fact, that they cannot stay quietly in their own chamber.”
When spiritual fatigue is unaddressed, the result is burnout””extended periods of personal, mental, emotional, and relational stress. Henri Nouwen calls it “a convenient psychological translation for spiritual death.”
Few things are as dark or disillusioning as spiritual fatigue. It obscures both vision and perspective. But in dark quiet and stillness, our eyes adjust. We acquire night vision so that even in the darkest nights we can see the beauty and faithfulness of God. In solitude we can see simple wonders formerly obscured by the pace of a too-busy life. Maybe it”s time to let the soul catch up.
Great stuff Jim. Keep up the good work”¦and rest!
Traveling at the speed of life!
Another thought provoking well written article Jim.