How do we lighten the load?

Standing in the shower, I wish I could wash away the weight of the week. Sometimes life piles up and I carry more weight than I would like.

I’ve heard some say, God never asks you to carry more than you can bear…. or… God must think you’re strong because of how much He’s given you to carry.

What does that mean?

Sometimes we do carry more than we can handle on our own. When I look at the book of Job in the Bible, he carried way more than I would ever like to carry on any given day….AND YET… HE MADE IT THROUGH! We don’t know how many days or years from the beginning of Job’s story to the end but it was a journey…and a heavy-loaded one at that.

As humans, we like the fairy tale belief of….and they lived happily ever after. It’s a nice thought but not reality. Some days are just hard, difficult and downright ugly.

Some weeks are weighty; when moments pile on top of moments and the days become heavy.

Days when we only see life piled around us.
Days when we want to wash it all away.
Days when we ask the question, “How am I going to make it today?”

The good news is… With every breath, in every moment, He is with us. Breathe in…breathe out… He is here…the whole journey through!

It would be nice if standing in the shower was all it took to let all that is weighty wash away with the rinse. {We might all be wrinkled prunes from living out our days in the shower…but hey, we’d be relaxed and clean!} And as refreshing and therapeutic as that sounds, we can’t live in the shower.

So how can we lighten the load today?

Remove things from the to-do list which are not a requirement today?
Enjoy a long, hot shower and let mental weight just wash away down the drain.
Share the load with a trusted companion and pray together.
And most of all…. Bring it all to God. It sounds like the Sunday School answer, yet in reality, it is the best answer.

Deuteronomy 31:8 (TNIV) says, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG) says: “Are you tired? Worn out?… 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… Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

My encouragement is this:

Take Him up on His promise today. Go to Jesus…get away with Him and keep company with Him… Breathe in….and breathe out….knowing that the One who supplies you with every breath is right here… journeying with you.