Love beats fatigue

Sometimes it can feel as if we’re in “Go, Go, Go” mode until we burn the candle at too many ends and don’t have any energy left. When this happens, it can seem there’s just not enough time in the day to get done what we need to do, or enough hours at night to get the sleep we need to refresh ourselves.

One night, while working at a summer camp in my capacity as a Christian Science practitioner supporting campers and staff, I experienced a solution to this. I’d had many long days in a row, and several very short or interrupted nights, and I was very tired. That night, all seemed quiet and I planned to go to bed a bit early to get some much-needed rest.

However, shortly after falling asleep I got a call that a camper wasn’t feeling well and would be coming to see me. In that moment, my first thought was that I simply had no energy left to keep going.

But then I thought about a statement attributed to Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science: “Keep awake by loving more” (“We Knew Mary Baker Eddy,” Expanded Edition, Vol. 2, p. 117). I decided it was time to put that statement into practice.

This didn’t mean I had to conjure up feelings of love to outweigh my desire to rest in that moment. My role was simply to express God’s love to all, which really is effortless, since God is the source of all love – God is Love itself, as the Bible states. So rather than trying to will myself into feeling energetic, I thought about just living love and embracing this camper in that love of God.

Well, she sure made it easy! She was the sweetest, most earnest girl. We shared some ideas about how God, Love, is right here with us no matter where we are, and that when we are open to it, we can tangibly feel the healing power of God’s love. As I tucked her into bed, she commented that she felt so at home and loved, and she fell right to sleep.

I, however, was so full of energy I felt I could have gone out for a run! I joyfully stayed awake for a while, praying for this dear one and all the camp. It was so quiet and still, except for all the beautiful night sounds of crickets and frogs surrounding the cabin. As I prayed to know that everyone could feel the deep peace and love God imparts to all, I felt completely enveloped in that peace and love as well.

I eventually tucked in for the night, and I woke up the next morning feeling completely rested, refreshed, and ready for the day – even more so than if I had slept for as long as I’d initially planned. And the camper woke up completely well and ready to get back to her daily camp activities, too.

This experience made real for me the energizing power of love inspired by divine Love itself. I’ve applied this numerous times since then when working late at night. God’s goodness provides so much for which we can be so grateful. Mrs. Eddy explains in her primary text, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures”: “Mind-science teaches that mortals need ‘not be weary in well doing.’ It dissipates fatigue in doing good. Giving does not impoverish us in the service of our Maker, neither does withholding enrich us” (p. 79).

So whether you are working late on a project, up in the night nursing a newborn, or studying for an exam, these spiritual facts can and do apply. God’s love is all-powerful and ever present, and is right there to meet our every need. We can all find freedom from fatigue at any moment when we focus on letting Love shine through us more.