THOSE PESKY BURDENS

THOSE PESKY BURDENS

I know that I have had an on going battle for years with letting things go. I give them to the Lord and then I take them back again and so it goes round and round. I have recently felt so very burdened over a loved one. I found that it was consuming my every thought. I couldn’t think of anything else and just kept rolling it around in my mind as if a sudden solution would come to me so I could make it all better.
Well you know the Lord always knows just what we need. We had a visiting missionary who talked about stepping out of our comfort zone and obeying the Lord even if wasn’t something we thought was a good idea. Our pastor then preached that evening about trusting God and then one of the songs was all about our burdens. I knew the Lord planned that whole day just for me - at least it seemed that way.
I came home knowing that I needed to turn that burden to the Lord but still hadn’t done it. Well recently we had watched a movie called “Volcano”. It was about a volcano that had lava going into the underground subway system in LA. Well there was one scene in the movie where a man was carrying an injured guy trying to get him off the subway as the lava was quickly approaching. The scene went in slow motion as the man’s shoes were melting and yet he was determined to get the injured guy off the subway. As he got to the door the lava had come under and they told him to jump. As he jumped right into the lava he threw the injured man and the rescue people were able to catch him but the other man died. Well the Lord brought to my mind that I was sinking into the mire as I tried to carry on with that heavy burden weighing me down and preventing me from walking with the Lord as He wanted. I was going to ruin myself and my loved one if I didn’t let go of that burden. I visualized myself throwing my loved one to the Lord. It was the most freeing moment. In the movie the rescuer was consumed but I was not consumed - I was set free. I suddenly knew it was up to the Lord now - not me! We always sing that song “Cast your burden” with the little kids but it is for all of us adults as well.
After you let go of a burden - you wonder why in the world you even wanted to carry it in the first place. Psalm 55:22 “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved”. Why we fight dong the very thing that is going to bring us joy is a mystery to me but we seem to all do it.
That movie I watched was a silly movie but the Lord used it to drive home the message he had been giving me all day while I was at church. Isn’t God good to put things into a practical setting that we can see and understand what he is wanting from us.
If you are trying to carry a heavy burden maybe you could visualize yourself sinking in the mire and both you and the burden going under. The only way out is to throw that burden to the Lord. Let it go and you too can experience that wonderful light airy burden free feeling - wow! It is great!