Pondering Burdens

Burdens. We all have them. Usually more heavy than light. Some hidden from sight. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed by them we cannot help carry our neighbor's... defninitely no room for the burdens of our Master. And yet the Father tells us "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Mt. 11:28

Matthew 11:28-30 (Today's New International Version)
28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." 

I like that His yoke is easy. I can't use that description for anythng else right now.

Check out this version, it makes me think of it in a different perspective:

Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)
28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." 

As for sharing burdens:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (Contemporary English Version) "It Is Better To Have a Friend"
9 "You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn. 10 If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble. " 

Isn't it interesting that Facebook makes us so aware of everyone's burdens? My newsfeed is so burdensome some days. And yet I'm glad my friends post so I can pray, and so I know where they are. But I find it really hard to share my burdens right now. I'm pretty sure "stuffing down" isn't a working way to deal, but it's what I'm good at. Just never seem to want to post real thoughts and feelings in a status box. I guess I don't want anyone to worry or pity me. But being silent about the tough stuff gives the illusion of "havng it all together" and I'm SOOO not there.

I'm so thankful for friends who have shared my burdens this year. Especially for my hubby, a good friend indeed. God is good in how he designs things.

Most of all, I'm thankful for my Father. When it's all dark in the house. The dishes done (ok, not allways) the lights out, the kids tucked in, the hubby off working... it's just me and Him. And His love envelopes me... and after a long day of shouldering those burdens my sore shoulders slump... and His burden really is lighter! I wonder why I didn't ask to carry it much earlier in the day. The load of living for me (or even for the others I want to "fix") is so much heavier than the load of living for Him, and this seems to be so logical and yet foreign to me all at once.

All I know is this. It is.

And when I am still, I know it; this is why He is God.

Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message)
6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. 

~
originally posted in my notes on Nov. 6, 2009, 
about six weeks after my grandmother's passing.
More related posts over on Heart Life Page