"He said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.' People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat." - Mark 6:31

Right now, we have different labels. You are a student, he is a musician, she is an accountant, he/she is a parent, etc. These roles give us responsibilities that we must fulfill. For example, being a student requires projects, exams and quizzes. While being a mother may include cooking for the family, paying house bills, and a lot more. And with these responsibilities, play a major role in creating our identities.

Now think of that one role/occupation that keeps you busy. After, think of the tasks and responsibilities that fall under that role. Name all of it. Then answer these questions in your mind: Are you happy doing these things? Are you satisfied with what you have done so far? Or do you feel tired of doing these things?

You have your own answers and I have mine. And I know, that with all these thing that we do everyday and with all the responsibilities and commitments we have to keep on track all the time, there are always points in our lives that we forget to rest. We are too focused on doing the things that we are supposed to accomplish. But ofcourse, as human as we are, a time will come that we get tired. And when we are tired, we tend to get easily annoyed, unfocused and less productive. These effects of tiredness may decrease the quality of what we do.

We can relate this in our Gospel because being a follower of Christ also is a responsibility. We have tasks that have to be done or practiced. Sometimes, honestly, I feel drained and less motivated to do what I have to do because aside from YE I also have other things to think about, like my work, my family and my friends.

However, the Gospel reminded me that it is important for us to "Come awat to a deserted place and rest a while" . I am not saying that we would disconnect ourselves from God so that we can rest from our responsibilities as His followers, but what I am saying is that just like what Jesus told the disciples, to find a place that we can totally rest and disconnect ourselves from the toxicity of this world. Being in a peaceful and quiet place would let you breathe and reflect on the situations you have in your life at the moment and through that, we may realize the Jesus-way of dealing with these situations. Resting will not only give us physiological relief but emotional and spiritual relief as well. And for me, attending YE activities and seeing the people in this ministry give me peace that I consider as my "deserted place". A place where I can grow as a person and rest when I feel tired from all my responsibilities in life. A place where I can always feel the love of Jesus.

This journey of following and serving Christ is never an easy task or responsibility. There will always come a time that we will get tired. But we must always strive to be wired: Wired with doing good, and wired with God. At the end of the day, by being wired but not tired will give us a fruitful encounter with God and an unshakeable faith.

- Jacob Vallescas