Holding On When We’re Too Tired

My grandniece (11) and nephew (8) love walking the trails around our houses with me, especially during the warmer months. Their favorite destination is the creek.

Emmitt has been walking those trails with us since he was only four years old, which is pretty impressive. Most of the time, he’s a ball of energy and races ahead of his sister and me—especially on the way to the creek because he’s so excited to get there.

But after he’s spent a long time splashing, climbing rocks, and playing hard in the water, there are occasions when the walk back home feels like too much.

Every now and then, he stops right in the middle of the trail and announces that he’s too tired to walk another step. Sometimes he even drops to his knees and refuses to budge. The problem is… he’s a big boy now, and there’s no way I can carry him all the way home!

Thankfully, his very smart big sister figured out a solution years ago when this first started happening.

We always bring our dog Marley along on these walks. Most of the time she isn’t on a leash, but I carry one just in case. One day, Millie-Mae handed one end of the leash to Emmitt and held the other end herself. And just like that… something changed. Even though he was still tired, he found the strength to stand up and follow her down the trail.

Now whenever he gets worn out, she simply hands him the leash and says, “Come on, Emmitt.” And he keeps walking.

There have even been times when we didn’t have the leash, so she grabbed a long stick for him to hold while she held the other end. And once again, he found the strength to keep moving.

It’s amazing how simply having a guide—and something to hold onto—can help him keep going when he feels like he can’t take another step.

Watching this always reminds me of how much we’re like Emmitt sometimes.

Life can feel exhausting. We hit seasons where the path feels long, the hills feel steep, and we wonder if we have the strength to keep going. But God never asks us to walk the trail alone.

When we feel weak, He invites us to hold on to Him and follow His lead. Somehow, just knowing He’s guiding us—and staying connected to Him—gives us the strength to take the next step.

Maybe not the whole journey at once… but the next step.

And sometimes that’s all we need.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

March 18, 2026 Morning Brew

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