A friend sent me an article from Tara Beth Leach- 'Why Do You Feel Spiritually Numb (and What To Do About It) (4/21//26) - I loved the vulnerability in it. I loved the words she put to the feeling... it's not depression, its not burnout, its not laziness. It is Acedia - an oppressive enemy-- The demon of acedia is the most oppressive of all the demons. He attacks the monk about the fourth hour and besieges his soul until the eighth hour. First of all, he makes it appear that the sun moves slowly or not at all, and that the day seems to be fifty hours long. The instruction to deal with acedia is to sit with it...no fight, no pressing through, no sweat it out. Tara Beth says in giving this enemy a name, we can reduce its power. she goes on to give three postures to defeat acedia... Stay in your cell, stop trying to feel, let someone feed you. She describes each step in depth. Each is intriguing in its own right. One of my key phrases to weary ministers is 'you're not 'alone.' I realize God's gifting to kathy and I is to support and encourage others. We also recognize the need(s) to let others minister to us. There are times I need to be supported and encouraged. How about you? How do you receive support or encouragement? How do you fight the long days? https://open.substack.com/pub/tarabethleach/p/why-you-feel-spiritually-numb-and?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web