Healing is Exhausting

There are days when I wake up and know before my feet hit the floor that I don’t have much to give. Not because I’m in crisis or sliding backward, but just because I’m tired. Healing takes a lot out of you. It pulls energy from places you didn’t know had limits, and sometimes, even after rest, you still feel spent.

Not a Failure, Just Human

For a long time, I thought that kind of exhaustion meant I was doing something wrong. I’d tell myself to push a little harder, pray a little longer, or smile a little brighter. But eventually, I ran out of pretending. There comes a moment in every deep healing process when you realize you’ve hit the end of your own strength and that’s not failure. It’s simply the truth.

Somewhere in that space, I’ve often whispered, “God, I can’t do this anymore.” Not out of rebellion or despair, but out of sheer honesty. And every time, it’s as if He answers, “Good. Let Me.”

The “I Can’t” Prayer

Over the years, I’ve discovered a simple prayer that helps me in those moments of exhaustion. I call it The “I Can’t” Prayer, and it’s a simple way to be honest about what’s too heavy to hold.
First, I own it and let God know “I just can’t ______ anymore.”
I fill in the blank with whatever has worn me out. Sometimes it’s grief, sometimes guilt, sometimes the pressure to keep holding everyone else together.
And then I ask for a small sign of rest or comfort, a quiet reminder that I’m not walking alone. It might show up as a moment of calm, a verse, a song, or just the feeling that I can breathe again.

In our Weakness He is Strong

You don’t have to keep proving you’re strong. You’ve already shown up, and that’s enough.
Let God hold what’s left, even if all that’s left is a whisper: “I can’t.” He will hear you and let you know, “no, but I can.”

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