We are having some humongous pipe project going in the full length of the street that runs in front of our home. For at least three weeks, promptly at 7:30 am the huge diesel engines rev up and the air is punctuated with the incessant beep, beep, beep of the large equipment backing up. Cranes, backhoes, 18-wheel trucks filled with dirt, traditional dump trucks, and small little zippy machines that do heaven-knows-what. Even with our double-paned windows, I can hear the constant noise. As a dedicated lover of silence, it puts me on edge. I have no idea that I'm somewhat holding my breath, until 6:00 pm, when they mercifully stop. Then, it is like my soul sighs relief and I relax. Thankfully, they didn't work on the weekend; yet bright and early, it started once more, like a hard-hat version of hell. This morning, a beautiful fog had drifted in, softening the morning. As I fed the animals, even they seemed quieter. And then it started. With no foreseeable end in sight. In addition, there is the obstacle course of trying to enter and exit our home. It seems like a roulette game of chance as to whether or not we will be able to pull into or out of our driveway.
I was thinking the other day – this happens in life too – the ongoing thing that just sucks energy while you try to resist being pulled into its orbit. The chronic illness. The constant relational tension. Persistent issues with money (or lack thereof). And those things don't even have weekends to spell you.
If you are feeling weary, know that, while others may not get your exact exhaustion, they usually have one of their own; i.e. you are in good company. Perhaps in the midst of your ever-present difficulty, something new is being created. Faith in this is what gives us the grace to bear the noise and the mess.