Yesterday God was trying to restore me, to keep me from stress and stressing.
Later in the day I was sitting in the dark in our recliner downstairs, still feeling anxious about the mountain ahead of me, the giant to-do list that I’m not sure I’ll be able to tackle. Ministry has been so much fun lately, but this giant was looming, sapping my passion just thinking about it all.
“Help. Show me the way.” That was my prayer. Not pretty, just real.
And then, ever so gently, my mind opened to see my task in all it’s hugeness. He reminded me what the whole point was for doing what I was doing. And about things that weren’t. Things about the project that I could let go, that would make a monumental difference in what I was required to give it.
And I agreed. I let those things go, seeing that once again (bonehead that I am) I had picked up things that stressed me out and created burdens I was not meant to carry. My sense of relief was immediate. I actually sighed, let out a long, cleansing breath. The joy returned.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… my yoke is easy, and my burden is light, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jesus said that. And he means it. He’s not just describing a general, well-wishing kind of spiritualized truth that has no bearing on how things actually work. He means, literally, COME. Share your burden with me, I’ll get it untangled, I’ll show you the baggage that’s making it heavy, and you can walk away light in spirit and feeling good about what’s on your plate. He met me in the easychair, praise God. And now I can face today.