I have been feeling the need to be more intentional about having a day of rest every week. Easier said than done. It's amazing how I can find ways to fill up my time with self-imposed obligations. Granted, rest during the week is hard with two young children to feed, clothe, bathe, chase around, take to school and other activities. A lot of chores and errands go undone during the week as a result. Hence, I depend a lot on the weekends when my husband is home to get things done. Coupled with other obligations most weekends, we are busy, busy, busy and almost always on the go.
Thankfully, today has been different. What a gift the snow has been (even if it's really more ice). It was a wonderful treat for the girls and for us watching them delight playing in it. More than that, the snow gave us the perfect excuse to just stay home. Today has been the first Saturday in a long time we did not need to run errands, attend family events, or go do all the things we normally do on weekends. Today was the first day in a long time that I have stayed in pajamas all day! Aside from going outside in the snow, cooking meals, and doing a quick vacuum job, we have not done any work -- and it has been marvelous! We have been able to play with the children, relax, enjoy an unhurried meal as a family, and I even got in a two hour nap while my 2 year old was sleeping!
I've meditated on and learned a lot today about the Sabbath. God created the Sabbath as a day of rest and to focus on Him. Originally, God, through Moses, declared the seventh day of the week (Saturday) as the Sabbath. Early in the history of the church, Christians began meeting instead on the first day of the week (Sunday) to celebrate Jesus being resurrected on that day. Over time, Sunday became known as the Lord's day and when Christians refer to the Sabbath today they usually mean Sunday. However, Jesus teaches us that it doesn't really matter what day of the week we observe the Sabbath. The important thing is that we do observe it.
The Sabbath was intended to be a day for mental, physical, and spiritual rest. It was intended as more than a religious rite or mere stopping of labor and work. It was a day to meditate on God's provisions, to praise him, to enjoy time being "still", in peace and harmony with mind, body, and spirit. It was intended to be a joyful day. Unfortunately in Jesus' time, it became a legalistic stumbling block because religious leaders (the Pharisees) began punishing people if they "worked," even if they were doing good deeds to glorify God. This is one of the many reasons they wanted to persecute Jesus who performed miracles and healing on the Sabbath.
With Jesus and the New Testament, believers now are encouraged to "rest" in the Lord Jesus who is the Lord of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8, Luke 6:5, Mark 2:28). This means that we accept the work of Jesus on the cross, and we know that our salvation no longer depends on works or whether we keep a Sabbath. We rest in the reality of God's presence in our lives daily and have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us each day. However, it is also clear that the spirit of the Sabbath remains important. As humans we need rest -- physically, mentally, and spiritually. When we don't get that rest we are not happy and we cannot focus on the Lord, our life, or our duties and tasks as we should. You do not want to see me when I have not had much rest. Trust me, I am horrible! I am irritable, I am mean, I lack patience. . . And if you cross my path, beware! Thank God, the Holy Spirit convicts me often and I have learned to check my behavior better -- but I'm not perfect and a lot of times you still see the tired beast come out!
Today I was able to enjoy a true Sabbath day. So did my husband and children and I could tell it made a huge difference in the general mood and manner in which we interacted with each other. Thank you, God! Thank you for reminding me how much I need rest from all the things that I fill up my weekends with. Dear Lord, give me strength and courage to say "no" to the unnecessary things each week so that I may continue to instill the spirit of the Sabbath in my family. Please give me wisdom to plan my days and weeks accordingly so that I may leave one day free and open to be still and bask in your peace. Amen.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Compassion and Love
I have been convicted lately about how I have been failing to show love and compassion to those around me. I looked up the definition of compassion and this is what the online dictionary says: a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. Sympathy means harmony or agreement of feelings between people or on the part of one person with respect to the other. I used to believe that compassion and sympathy were among my gifts. I often feel for people who are hurting and I do try to reach out and help. After all, I used to be a therapist of sorts (was getting my Ph.D. in clinical psychology before I had children and decided to stay at home indefinitely). Yet, as I have studied the example of Jesus in scripture, I have gained a better understanding of compassion. It is more than a feeling. It is an action. I realize now that it is merely empathy that I am demonstrating. The definition of empathy is: the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another. Simply put, it means to be able to put yourself in the other persons' place and imagine how they are feeling and thinking. So, yes, I can empathize with people who are hurting and suffering, but when it comes to showing compassion I often fail.
How do I fail? It's because I try to help the person the way I think they should be helped. I give advice and I suggest solutions to their "problem." My intentions are good, but quite simply I think I often miss the mark. Jesus gives us the Golden Rule when he says, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31). I have realized that I often fall into the same trap I accuse my husband of. I hate it when I am upset about something and my husband comes in and tries to "fix" it instead of just listening to me. I love him dearly and he is a wonderful man, but he definitely always tries to solve my "issues" rather than empathizing with them and comforting me the way I want to be comforted in the moment, which is simply to feel his strong arms around me and his reassuring presence. So if that is the way I want to be treated, I am sure others feel the same way when they are going through problems! But alas, despite all the years of training as a therapist I still often fall short of delivering what they need. Instead of my advice and solutions they want to be reassured by my presence. The best thing I can do for them is be a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, and comforting arms to embrace.
Recently, my mother has gone though a personal crisis and she reached out to my brother, husband, and I for help. There is a lot of history and unfortunate baggage between my mother, brother, and I. There are lots of old wounds that haven't necessarily been addressed and definitely haven't been healed. I think those wounds made it all the more difficult to be unbiased "ears" listening. I love my mother dearly and I pray for her everyday. But I often lose my temper with her and get frustrated and annoyed with her. Anyways, in this case, I found myself giving too much advice (however sound) and then getting frustrated that she was not taking it! I remember at one point during our meeting my brother, bless his heart, said to me, "Amy, show more compassion!" I was definitely humbled by that reminder. But ironically, later he also lost his cool with her and fell into the same trap as I did. The only one who remained patient and impartial was my dear husband. In the following days, my brother and I both felt ashamed and discussed how we felt the Holy Spirit convicting us and telling us we needed to work on demonstrating love and compassion.
Then at CBS (Community Bible Study) the other day, our speaker was a woman who shared how God helped to open her eyes and her heart, and enable her to begin to restore her relationship with her father (who has been an emotionally controlling man to her mother and siblings). God helped her to realize that her father was a broken man with many scars that still have not healed. The very things that make it difficult for her to love and respect him are the very same reasons that she should! He was in need of love and compassion, as much, if not more than she herself. Hearing her testimony, I was brought to tears. I realized that in the same way, I needed to pour love and compassion onto my mother!!! It reminded me that I too am a broken person who struggled with depression and darkness, and that God's mercy, love, and compassion were what changed my life and enabled me to be here today, sharing my story.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, "God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."
Today I experienced another powerful, convicting reminder about what true love is. My oldest daughter had preschool so I had planned on going with my younger daughter to a Moms Club event. I used to be very active in the club, even on the board as Membership VP. But in the past couple of years our schedules have become too busy with school and other activities for me to be as active. I wanted to go in order to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. I then remembered that my church was having a MOPS (mother's of preschoolers) meeting and I had been meaning to try it out. As I was driving, I thought to myself, I'd rather go to the Moms Club event. I'll just try out MOPS next month. But somehow I couldn't shake the feeling I needed to go to the MOPS meeting today. So I obeyed and went.
The speakers at MOPS today were great and were talking about marriage and relationships. One thing they said that really stuck with me is this: Love is when you do for someone what they most need even if they do not deserve it. That really hit home. I often tell my husband, "I know I'm being emotional and whiny and mean right now, and I'm a mess because I've been crying, but I really just want you to hug me!" I don't deserve a hug in those moments because of how I tend to take things out on him when I am upset, but he hugs me anyways even while I try to push him away. When my kids get upset and throw tantrums, I have found that even while they are kicking and screaming at me, what they really need is for me to hug them and reassure them that I love them. We don't deserve a savior because we are all sinners and continue to sin despite our efforts to stop, but God displayed his ultimate love by sending his beloved son to die for us on the cross, so that through Him we might all be saved. Through Jesus, we are no longer slaves to our sin but gain ultimate forgiveness. How amazing is that? How comforting!
So what am I trying to say with all this babbling. . . Simply this: Show love! Show compassion! Step into the shoes of someone else when they are hurting and realize that they don't always need lectures and advice. What they need is for you to pour your love into them by listening, by embracing them, by asking, what is it you need right now? Don't jump to fix things -- don't jump to trying to alleviate their sufferings by what you think is best. And most of all, don't judge! I read somewhere a story about a man who was grieving after losing his 3 children in tragedy. One after another family and friends came up to him and tried to comfort him by quoting scripture, by telling him all was well and his children are in a better place, who referred him to grief support groups, etc. He was not comforted by any of them. A stranger came up to him and just sat and placed his hand on the man's shoulder while he cried. Never saying a word, this stranger sat for who knows how long. That was more comforting to the man than all those well meaning friends and family. Seek God's guidance for how to best show people your support. It may not mean any words, just sitting and sharing your presence, but that may mean all the difference!
How do I fail? It's because I try to help the person the way I think they should be helped. I give advice and I suggest solutions to their "problem." My intentions are good, but quite simply I think I often miss the mark. Jesus gives us the Golden Rule when he says, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31). I have realized that I often fall into the same trap I accuse my husband of. I hate it when I am upset about something and my husband comes in and tries to "fix" it instead of just listening to me. I love him dearly and he is a wonderful man, but he definitely always tries to solve my "issues" rather than empathizing with them and comforting me the way I want to be comforted in the moment, which is simply to feel his strong arms around me and his reassuring presence. So if that is the way I want to be treated, I am sure others feel the same way when they are going through problems! But alas, despite all the years of training as a therapist I still often fall short of delivering what they need. Instead of my advice and solutions they want to be reassured by my presence. The best thing I can do for them is be a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, and comforting arms to embrace.
Recently, my mother has gone though a personal crisis and she reached out to my brother, husband, and I for help. There is a lot of history and unfortunate baggage between my mother, brother, and I. There are lots of old wounds that haven't necessarily been addressed and definitely haven't been healed. I think those wounds made it all the more difficult to be unbiased "ears" listening. I love my mother dearly and I pray for her everyday. But I often lose my temper with her and get frustrated and annoyed with her. Anyways, in this case, I found myself giving too much advice (however sound) and then getting frustrated that she was not taking it! I remember at one point during our meeting my brother, bless his heart, said to me, "Amy, show more compassion!" I was definitely humbled by that reminder. But ironically, later he also lost his cool with her and fell into the same trap as I did. The only one who remained patient and impartial was my dear husband. In the following days, my brother and I both felt ashamed and discussed how we felt the Holy Spirit convicting us and telling us we needed to work on demonstrating love and compassion.
Then at CBS (Community Bible Study) the other day, our speaker was a woman who shared how God helped to open her eyes and her heart, and enable her to begin to restore her relationship with her father (who has been an emotionally controlling man to her mother and siblings). God helped her to realize that her father was a broken man with many scars that still have not healed. The very things that make it difficult for her to love and respect him are the very same reasons that she should! He was in need of love and compassion, as much, if not more than she herself. Hearing her testimony, I was brought to tears. I realized that in the same way, I needed to pour love and compassion onto my mother!!! It reminded me that I too am a broken person who struggled with depression and darkness, and that God's mercy, love, and compassion were what changed my life and enabled me to be here today, sharing my story.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, "God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."
Today I experienced another powerful, convicting reminder about what true love is. My oldest daughter had preschool so I had planned on going with my younger daughter to a Moms Club event. I used to be very active in the club, even on the board as Membership VP. But in the past couple of years our schedules have become too busy with school and other activities for me to be as active. I wanted to go in order to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. I then remembered that my church was having a MOPS (mother's of preschoolers) meeting and I had been meaning to try it out. As I was driving, I thought to myself, I'd rather go to the Moms Club event. I'll just try out MOPS next month. But somehow I couldn't shake the feeling I needed to go to the MOPS meeting today. So I obeyed and went.
The speakers at MOPS today were great and were talking about marriage and relationships. One thing they said that really stuck with me is this: Love is when you do for someone what they most need even if they do not deserve it. That really hit home. I often tell my husband, "I know I'm being emotional and whiny and mean right now, and I'm a mess because I've been crying, but I really just want you to hug me!" I don't deserve a hug in those moments because of how I tend to take things out on him when I am upset, but he hugs me anyways even while I try to push him away. When my kids get upset and throw tantrums, I have found that even while they are kicking and screaming at me, what they really need is for me to hug them and reassure them that I love them. We don't deserve a savior because we are all sinners and continue to sin despite our efforts to stop, but God displayed his ultimate love by sending his beloved son to die for us on the cross, so that through Him we might all be saved. Through Jesus, we are no longer slaves to our sin but gain ultimate forgiveness. How amazing is that? How comforting!
So what am I trying to say with all this babbling. . . Simply this: Show love! Show compassion! Step into the shoes of someone else when they are hurting and realize that they don't always need lectures and advice. What they need is for you to pour your love into them by listening, by embracing them, by asking, what is it you need right now? Don't jump to fix things -- don't jump to trying to alleviate their sufferings by what you think is best. And most of all, don't judge! I read somewhere a story about a man who was grieving after losing his 3 children in tragedy. One after another family and friends came up to him and tried to comfort him by quoting scripture, by telling him all was well and his children are in a better place, who referred him to grief support groups, etc. He was not comforted by any of them. A stranger came up to him and just sat and placed his hand on the man's shoulder while he cried. Never saying a word, this stranger sat for who knows how long. That was more comforting to the man than all those well meaning friends and family. Seek God's guidance for how to best show people your support. It may not mean any words, just sitting and sharing your presence, but that may mean all the difference!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
What I learned from Penguins
My husband is working late. . . I'm in my 3rd trimester and feeling pretty tired after a day out and about. Please don't judge me, but I put on a couple of movies today to entertain the girls (age 5 and age 2). Right now they are watching Happy Feet. If you have never watched the movie, you should! It's very cute. It's about penguins -- well one penguin in particular named Mumble. He is a rather unusual penguin and instead of singing, he prefers to dance. I won't go into details, but basically he ends up saving his penguin colony (or whatever you call it) with his "happy feet" and dance moves.
I don't know too much about Emperor Penguins, but what I do know is striking. Once a female penguin lays her egg, she passes it to her mate who then puts it in a pouch just above his feet. The female penguin then leaves for an extended period of time to search for food in the sea. The male penguin is left alone with the egg for two months. During that time, the temperature in Antarctica drops far below zero and the winter plunges the penguins into total darkness. The males live off their own stored body fat during that time, all the while balancing the eggs between their feet. They huddle together to keep warm, and constantly move and shift so that each bird gets his share of warmth inside the inner circles as well as serving time on the outside perimeter blocking the cold for those inside the circle. As soon as the egg hatches, the females return. In the darkness the only way that the mates recognize each other is by their voices, singing to their mates as loudly as they can. The females then take turns sheltering the young penguins while the fathers take their turn at sea.
Why am I writing about this? While watching this movie with my children I was struck by several "lessons." I was moved by the scene where the male emperor penguins shelter their young. It made me think of our Heavenly Father and how he shelters and protects us during the darkest times of our lives and watches over us as we mature. It reminded me a lot of one of the books my children enjoy us reading to them entitled, Without You, by Sarah Weeks and Suzanne Duranceau. It is also about Emperor penguins. There is a repeated song/ chorus that the baby penguin sings:
Where would I be,
What would I do,
Who in the world would see me through. . .
Where would I be,
What would I do,
Without you?
Where would we be without our Heavenly Father? I am reminded of the scripture, "Never will I leave you; Never will I forsake you," (Hebrews 13:5). But also of one of my favorite Psalms that says, "Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you (139:12)." For in his love for us, never forsaking or forgetting about us, he sends us his son, Jesus, who said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life," (John 8:12).
The sheltering of the other penguins and how they take turns moving in and out of the inner circles made me think of how mature Christians can help those who are less mature to grow spiritually, blocking them from the outside elements that might deter their path to maturity. As these Christians mature, they too will take their turn on the outside of the circle and so the cycle continues. At least that is how I envision the ideal Christian church community should be like.
I also love how the male and female penguin take turns rearing the young. It reminds me of how we as parents need to be mindful that parenting is a shared responsibility. It doesn't matter if one parent works and one parent stays home, or both work. . . Well adjustment in children is correlated with a healthy, happy, supportive home with two parents who love and dutifully share the task of child-rearing. I won't quote results from studies, etc. But numerous research studies have concluded the same thing. This does not mean that single-parent households result in maladjusted children (I know many wonderful children and adults who have come from single-parent homes). It just means that when all else is equal, you will see a greater percentage of happy, well-adjusted children coming from two-parent households rather than single-parent households. On marriage, Malachi 2:15 reads, "Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring."
There are more religious and spiritual undertones in the movie I could comment on, but these are the main things I thought about and got from the penguins in the movie. It confirms my theory that spiritual truth can come from various forms as long as we are open to the voice of the Holy Spirit inside of us guiding and teaching us. Amen!
I don't know too much about Emperor Penguins, but what I do know is striking. Once a female penguin lays her egg, she passes it to her mate who then puts it in a pouch just above his feet. The female penguin then leaves for an extended period of time to search for food in the sea. The male penguin is left alone with the egg for two months. During that time, the temperature in Antarctica drops far below zero and the winter plunges the penguins into total darkness. The males live off their own stored body fat during that time, all the while balancing the eggs between their feet. They huddle together to keep warm, and constantly move and shift so that each bird gets his share of warmth inside the inner circles as well as serving time on the outside perimeter blocking the cold for those inside the circle. As soon as the egg hatches, the females return. In the darkness the only way that the mates recognize each other is by their voices, singing to their mates as loudly as they can. The females then take turns sheltering the young penguins while the fathers take their turn at sea.
Why am I writing about this? While watching this movie with my children I was struck by several "lessons." I was moved by the scene where the male emperor penguins shelter their young. It made me think of our Heavenly Father and how he shelters and protects us during the darkest times of our lives and watches over us as we mature. It reminded me a lot of one of the books my children enjoy us reading to them entitled, Without You, by Sarah Weeks and Suzanne Duranceau. It is also about Emperor penguins. There is a repeated song/ chorus that the baby penguin sings:
Where would I be,
What would I do,
Who in the world would see me through. . .
Where would I be,
What would I do,
Without you?
Where would we be without our Heavenly Father? I am reminded of the scripture, "Never will I leave you; Never will I forsake you," (Hebrews 13:5). But also of one of my favorite Psalms that says, "Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you (139:12)." For in his love for us, never forsaking or forgetting about us, he sends us his son, Jesus, who said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life," (John 8:12).
The sheltering of the other penguins and how they take turns moving in and out of the inner circles made me think of how mature Christians can help those who are less mature to grow spiritually, blocking them from the outside elements that might deter their path to maturity. As these Christians mature, they too will take their turn on the outside of the circle and so the cycle continues. At least that is how I envision the ideal Christian church community should be like.
I also love how the male and female penguin take turns rearing the young. It reminds me of how we as parents need to be mindful that parenting is a shared responsibility. It doesn't matter if one parent works and one parent stays home, or both work. . . Well adjustment in children is correlated with a healthy, happy, supportive home with two parents who love and dutifully share the task of child-rearing. I won't quote results from studies, etc. But numerous research studies have concluded the same thing. This does not mean that single-parent households result in maladjusted children (I know many wonderful children and adults who have come from single-parent homes). It just means that when all else is equal, you will see a greater percentage of happy, well-adjusted children coming from two-parent households rather than single-parent households. On marriage, Malachi 2:15 reads, "Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring."
There are more religious and spiritual undertones in the movie I could comment on, but these are the main things I thought about and got from the penguins in the movie. It confirms my theory that spiritual truth can come from various forms as long as we are open to the voice of the Holy Spirit inside of us guiding and teaching us. Amen!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
New Years Resolution: Weight loss
2012. A new year. An opportunity to set new goals and resolve to keep them. In the past I haven't been very good about keeping my New Year's resolutions, probably due to lack of motivation and dedication. However, this year will be different -- I can feel it. How can I be so sure? Because in the past I have focused too much on my own efforts. This year, I am learning to lean on God's strength rather than my own. This year I will shed some much needed weight. I am not talking about physical weight (although after this baby is born in March I will need to do much exercising and dieting in order to fit back into old clothes!). What I am talking about is losing spiritual weight -- everything that I self-impose to occupy my time, my energy, my efforts, my thoughts, and my heart, leaving less room for Him to work in my life and keeping me from serving Him fully.
I want to share a story that I read in Joanna Weaver's Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World (the story is actually adapted from the original by Rosemarie Kowalksi):
The story is told of a man who met God in a lovely valley one day.
"How are you this morning?" God asked the fellow.
"I'm fine, thank you, " the man replied. "Is there anything I can do for you today?"
"Yes, there is," God said. "I have a wagon with three stones in it, and I need someone to pull it up the hill for me. Are you willing?"
"Yes, I'd love to do something for you. Those stones don't look very heavy, and the wagon's in good shape. I'd be happy to do that. Where would you like me to take it?"
God gave the man specific instructions, sketching a map in the dust at the side of the road. "Go through the woods and up the road that winds up the side of the hill. Once you get to the top, just leave the wagon there. Thank you for your willingness to help me today."
"No problem!" the man replied and set off cheerfully. The wagon pulled a bit behind him, but the burden was an easy one. He began to whistle as he walked quickly through the forest. The sun peeked through the trees and warmed his back. What a joy to be able to help the Lord, he thought, enjoying the beautiful day.
Just around the third bend, he walked into a small village. People smiled and greeted him. Then, at the last house, a man stopped him and asked, "How are you this morning. What a nice wagon you have. Where are you off to?"
"Well, God gave me a job this morning. I'm delivering these three stones to the top of the hill."
"My goodness! Can you believe it? I was just praying this morning about how I was going to get this rock I have up to the top of the mountain," the man told him with great excitement. "You don't suppose you could take it up there for me? It would be such an answer to prayer."
The man with the wagon smiled and said, "Of course. I don't suppose God would mind. Just put it behind the other three stones." Then he set off with three stones and a rock rolling behind him.
The wagon seemed a bit heavier. He could feel the jolt of each bump, and the wagon seemed to pull to one side a bit. The man stopped to adjust the load as he sang a hymn of praise, pleased to be helping out a brother as he served God. Then he set off again and soon reached another small village at the side of the road. A good friend lived there and offered him a glass of cider.
"You're going to the top of the hill?" his oldest friend asked.
"Yes! I am so excited. Can you imagine, God gave me something to do!"
"Hey!" said his friend. "I need this bag of pebbles taken up. I've been so worried that it might not get taken care of since I haven't any time to do it myself. But you could fit it in right between the three stones here in the middle." With that, he placed his burden in the wagon.
"Shouldn't be a problem," the man said. "I think I can handle it." He finished the cider, then stood up and brushed his hands on his overalls before gripping the handle of the wagon. He waved good-bye and began to pull the wagon back onto the road.
The wagon was definitely tugging on his arm now, but it wasn't uncomfortable. As he started up the incline, he began to feel the weight of the three stones, the rock, and the pebbles. Still, it felt good to help a friend. Surely God would be proud of how energetic and helpful he'd been.
One little stop followed another, and the wagon grew fuller and fuller. The sun was hot above the man pulling it, and his shoulders ached with the strain. The songs of praise and thanksgiving that had filled his heart had long since left his lips as resentment began to build inside. Surely this wasn't what he had signed up for that morning. God had given him a burden heavier than he could bear.
"Oh God," he wailed. "This is too hard for me! I thought you were behind this trip, but I am overcome by the heaviness of it. You'll have to get someone else to do it. I'm just not strong enough."
As he prayed, God came to his side. "Sounds like you're having a hard time. What's the problem?"
"You gave me a job that is too hard for me," the man sobbed. "I'm just not up to it!" God walked over to where the wagon was braced with a stone. "What is this?" He held up the bag of pebbles.
"That belongs to John, my good friend. He didn't have time to bring it up himself. I thought I would help."
"And this?" God tumbled two pieces of shale over the side of the wagon as the man tried to explain.
God continued to unload the wagon, removing both light and heavy items. They dropped to the ground, the dust swirling up around them. The man who had hoped to help God grew silent. "If you will be content to let others take their own burdens," God told him, "I will help you with your task."
"But I promised I would help! I can't leave these things lying here."
"Let others shoulder their own belongings," God said gently. "I know you were trying to help, but when you are weighted down with all these cares, you cannot do what I have asked of you."
"The man jumped to his feet, suddenly realizing the freedom that God was offering. "You mean I only have to take the three stones after all?" he asked.
"That is what I asked you to do." God smiled. "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. I will never ask you to carry more than you can bear."
"I can do that!" said the man, grinning from ear to ear. He grabbed the wagon handle and set off once again, leaving the rest of the burdens beside the road. The wagon still lurched and jolted slightly, but he hardly noticed.
A new song filled his lips, and he noticed a fragrant breeze wafting over the path. With great joy he reached the top of the hill. It had been a wonderful day, for he had done what the Lord had asked.
I think most of us can relate to this man hauling the rocks up the mountain. He was feeling overburdened, overworked, overwhelmed, and probably unappreciated. What started out as a joyful journey turned into one of resentment and frustration. What started as determination to do God's will turned into doubt about God's plan and provisions for his life. Not all the burdens that the man put into his wagon came from God. Many of the weights that he carried with him, holding him back, were self-imposed. True, many were honest attempts to help and serve friends and neighbors. Often the things that weigh us down in life are "good" things born from good intentions. They are not bad in and of themselves, but they become bad for us if they burden us and keep us from accomplishing the simple tasks that God asks of us. Can you think of anything like that in your life right now?
God calls us to love our neighbors and to serve them as He and Jesus love us and serve us. We are called to be selfless and to place others above ourselves. However, NEVER are we to place others before God or his plans for our lives. The moral of this story is clear: self-imposed obligations, duties, and burdens (even those masked as service to others) can ultimately keep us from God's will for us. Instead of becoming frustrated and angry with God for our heavy burdens, we need to realize that He did not cause all of the weight. We need to realize that we often weigh ourselves down with unnecessary things and that we are the ones putting more items into our wagon. Pray each day this new year for Him to show us the tasks that need to be accomplished and how we can best glorify him, and focus on these things rather than being distracted by other self-imposed obligations. Being a disciple of Jesus may not mean putting more things into our wagon, but putting LESS into it so that we ultimately can focus on Him and his will, praising him while we work.
I want to share a story that I read in Joanna Weaver's Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World (the story is actually adapted from the original by Rosemarie Kowalksi):
The story is told of a man who met God in a lovely valley one day.
"How are you this morning?" God asked the fellow.
"I'm fine, thank you, " the man replied. "Is there anything I can do for you today?"
"Yes, there is," God said. "I have a wagon with three stones in it, and I need someone to pull it up the hill for me. Are you willing?"
"Yes, I'd love to do something for you. Those stones don't look very heavy, and the wagon's in good shape. I'd be happy to do that. Where would you like me to take it?"
God gave the man specific instructions, sketching a map in the dust at the side of the road. "Go through the woods and up the road that winds up the side of the hill. Once you get to the top, just leave the wagon there. Thank you for your willingness to help me today."
"No problem!" the man replied and set off cheerfully. The wagon pulled a bit behind him, but the burden was an easy one. He began to whistle as he walked quickly through the forest. The sun peeked through the trees and warmed his back. What a joy to be able to help the Lord, he thought, enjoying the beautiful day.
Just around the third bend, he walked into a small village. People smiled and greeted him. Then, at the last house, a man stopped him and asked, "How are you this morning. What a nice wagon you have. Where are you off to?"
"Well, God gave me a job this morning. I'm delivering these three stones to the top of the hill."
"My goodness! Can you believe it? I was just praying this morning about how I was going to get this rock I have up to the top of the mountain," the man told him with great excitement. "You don't suppose you could take it up there for me? It would be such an answer to prayer."
The man with the wagon smiled and said, "Of course. I don't suppose God would mind. Just put it behind the other three stones." Then he set off with three stones and a rock rolling behind him.
The wagon seemed a bit heavier. He could feel the jolt of each bump, and the wagon seemed to pull to one side a bit. The man stopped to adjust the load as he sang a hymn of praise, pleased to be helping out a brother as he served God. Then he set off again and soon reached another small village at the side of the road. A good friend lived there and offered him a glass of cider.
"You're going to the top of the hill?" his oldest friend asked.
"Yes! I am so excited. Can you imagine, God gave me something to do!"
"Hey!" said his friend. "I need this bag of pebbles taken up. I've been so worried that it might not get taken care of since I haven't any time to do it myself. But you could fit it in right between the three stones here in the middle." With that, he placed his burden in the wagon.
"Shouldn't be a problem," the man said. "I think I can handle it." He finished the cider, then stood up and brushed his hands on his overalls before gripping the handle of the wagon. He waved good-bye and began to pull the wagon back onto the road.
The wagon was definitely tugging on his arm now, but it wasn't uncomfortable. As he started up the incline, he began to feel the weight of the three stones, the rock, and the pebbles. Still, it felt good to help a friend. Surely God would be proud of how energetic and helpful he'd been.
One little stop followed another, and the wagon grew fuller and fuller. The sun was hot above the man pulling it, and his shoulders ached with the strain. The songs of praise and thanksgiving that had filled his heart had long since left his lips as resentment began to build inside. Surely this wasn't what he had signed up for that morning. God had given him a burden heavier than he could bear.
"Oh God," he wailed. "This is too hard for me! I thought you were behind this trip, but I am overcome by the heaviness of it. You'll have to get someone else to do it. I'm just not strong enough."
As he prayed, God came to his side. "Sounds like you're having a hard time. What's the problem?"
"You gave me a job that is too hard for me," the man sobbed. "I'm just not up to it!" God walked over to where the wagon was braced with a stone. "What is this?" He held up the bag of pebbles.
"That belongs to John, my good friend. He didn't have time to bring it up himself. I thought I would help."
"And this?" God tumbled two pieces of shale over the side of the wagon as the man tried to explain.
God continued to unload the wagon, removing both light and heavy items. They dropped to the ground, the dust swirling up around them. The man who had hoped to help God grew silent. "If you will be content to let others take their own burdens," God told him, "I will help you with your task."
"But I promised I would help! I can't leave these things lying here."
"Let others shoulder their own belongings," God said gently. "I know you were trying to help, but when you are weighted down with all these cares, you cannot do what I have asked of you."
"The man jumped to his feet, suddenly realizing the freedom that God was offering. "You mean I only have to take the three stones after all?" he asked.
"That is what I asked you to do." God smiled. "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. I will never ask you to carry more than you can bear."
"I can do that!" said the man, grinning from ear to ear. He grabbed the wagon handle and set off once again, leaving the rest of the burdens beside the road. The wagon still lurched and jolted slightly, but he hardly noticed.
A new song filled his lips, and he noticed a fragrant breeze wafting over the path. With great joy he reached the top of the hill. It had been a wonderful day, for he had done what the Lord had asked.
I think most of us can relate to this man hauling the rocks up the mountain. He was feeling overburdened, overworked, overwhelmed, and probably unappreciated. What started out as a joyful journey turned into one of resentment and frustration. What started as determination to do God's will turned into doubt about God's plan and provisions for his life. Not all the burdens that the man put into his wagon came from God. Many of the weights that he carried with him, holding him back, were self-imposed. True, many were honest attempts to help and serve friends and neighbors. Often the things that weigh us down in life are "good" things born from good intentions. They are not bad in and of themselves, but they become bad for us if they burden us and keep us from accomplishing the simple tasks that God asks of us. Can you think of anything like that in your life right now?
God calls us to love our neighbors and to serve them as He and Jesus love us and serve us. We are called to be selfless and to place others above ourselves. However, NEVER are we to place others before God or his plans for our lives. The moral of this story is clear: self-imposed obligations, duties, and burdens (even those masked as service to others) can ultimately keep us from God's will for us. Instead of becoming frustrated and angry with God for our heavy burdens, we need to realize that He did not cause all of the weight. We need to realize that we often weigh ourselves down with unnecessary things and that we are the ones putting more items into our wagon. Pray each day this new year for Him to show us the tasks that need to be accomplished and how we can best glorify him, and focus on these things rather than being distracted by other self-imposed obligations. Being a disciple of Jesus may not mean putting more things into our wagon, but putting LESS into it so that we ultimately can focus on Him and his will, praising him while we work.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)