Driving the school’s old Ford station wagon because of the greater luggage capacity, I jerked my way to the airport without incident and collected our visitor. The route home was extremely hilly, and the final hill had stone walls along both sides. Attempting to ascend, I found myself in the wrong gear and ended up stuck in the middle of the hill, unable to climb the rest of the way. The car rolled back and stalled whenever I shifted and tried to move forward, and the steep angle made restarting the car impossible. With each attempt, I drifted closer to the stone wall along the driver’s side. There was no choice but to give up and call my husband, who worked at the school near the top of the hill. 

Burnout on the field manifests itself in many different ways. Exhaustion, lack of focus, resentment, irritability, inability to continue ministering joyfully to others, and having nothing left to give. My experience with what I later realized was burnout felt something like rolling backward down a steep hill with no ability to move forward. Decision fatigue and carrying too many confidences and burdens weighed me down. I was stuck and almost sure I would crash. I needed to cling to God’s promise of rest in my precarious emotional state. Admitting my need, I contacted a couple of pastor’s wives who I knew would storm the throne and fervently pray. 

Laboring as global workers is wearying. One scholar suggests that the Greek word translated “labor” in Matthew 11:28 could refer to the burdens we take upon ourselves, while “heavy laden” might imply the burdens others put on us. The cure for both is found in the verse's first three words: "Come to me…” followed by His promise at the end, “I will give you rest.” 

The writer of Psalm 94 gives us tremendous hope and reminds us where our anxious hearts can turn. How many times have I been encouraged by verse nineteen? “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” Verse twenty-two also speaks volumes to those attempting to climb out of the pit of burnout and despair. “But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.”