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By making ourselves vulnerable to the lives of others, we also open ourselves to burnout. When we become “burned out,” we tend to become distant and less engaged. We might feel helpless, lack motivation and lose our sense of purpose. Yet the greatest help for our overwhelming stress or complete burnout often comes from being part of a community.
How do we see light around us when we seem surrounded by darkness? In Genesis, darkness is a place of creation, a place out of which God created light. Even when we sit in places of burnout, feeling depleted, God surprises us with a ram, a song, or a hand to lift and connect us again. When we feel we have nothing left to give, we must open our hands to receive. We can turn to others who can listen to us or sit with us in the darkness. In the end, the best way to re-kindle that light is to stay close to God and each other.
This message is excerpted from “Darkness is your candle.” by Violet Cucciniello Little in the April 2020 Gather magazine.