"I'm tired." That is a common response to the question "How are you doing?". Sometimes, a more accurate reflection might be, "I'm tried". Though I may be tired from being tried, we can infuse our conversation with deeper meaning by differentiating between the two. Tired, or burned out is a condition resulting from operating by our own strength...usually ego driven or by some form of lust which whispers the lie more=better. When tried, I frequently misjudge the Lord and his dealings. For example, if I lose a friend or friends even if only for a season while tried, I begin to believe the Lord has turned his back or is punishing me because He isn't listening or showing up to intervene. Instead, I should be reminded not only of my mortality, but also in whom I should truly trust as he painfully weans me from close relationships, as well as toward a deeper belief in his Sovereignty. Through this deeper belief in his Sovereignty, joy flows, and the strength of our Lord is made manifest. Nehemiah 8:10