Overuse Syndrome

As I drove to my follow-up doctor’s appointment this morning, I found myself wondering what message the Lord might be trying to speak through the physical challenges I’ve been facing lately.

A little backstory:  Camp Hope, the ministry that’s so close to my heart, was birthed a few years ago—right around the same time my husband and I began managing Timberline Cabins. Through the generosity of the owner, I’ve been able to run Camp Hope through Timberline, offering those in need a deeply discounted stay as a place to rest and heal. (You can learn more at www.camp-hope.com.)

During that season, I was working a full-time day job, launching a brand-new ministry, and managing Timberline all at once. It didn’t take long for the strain to show. My right wrist eventually required surgery for DeQuervain’s Tenosynovitis—known as “overuse syndrome,” caused by chronic and repetitive stress. Fast forward, and I recently had the same surgery on my left wrist.  But today’s doctor appointment wasn’t even about my wrists—it was a follow-up for a cortisone injection in my foot to treat plantar fasciitis. Another condition caused by—you guessed it—overuse.  All of these issues stem from the same root: chronic overuse, excessive strain, and repetitive stress on my body. They’re the physical consequences of pushing too hard for too long.

We often talk about being the hands and feet of Jesus—but even His hands and feet knew when to pull away and rest.  Camp Hope was built on that very theme: rest. It’s something I passionately encourage for others, yet I’m still learning to embrace it for myself. I’ve always had a strong work ethic—from my career to ministry to walking out my calling and dreams. But I’m starting to ask:

Have I carried over the same unhealthy patterns into every area of life?

Am I listening when my body whispers that it’s time to slow down—or only when it screams?

So now I ask you: Where might you be suffering from “overuse syndrome”?  Maybe your signs aren’t physical like mine. Maybe it shows up as chronic fatigue, irritability, or a life that feels out of control.

Let me encourage you today—find rest before you’re forced to. Don’t wait for surgery scars or stress fractures to be your wake-up call. God invites us into rhythms of grace, not grind. Let’s be faithful to answer that invitation.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

— Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

A Prayer for Rest:

Father, thank You for the gift of calling and purpose—but thank You also for the gift of rest. Help us to recognize when we’re living out of balance. Teach us to honor You not just in our work, but also in our willingness to slow down, recharge, and trust You with the things we lay aside. May we be faithful with our bodies, minds, and spirits, offering all of them to You—our true source of strength and peace. In Jesus’ name, amen.

~ Kelly