This seems to be a timeless problem- with the carrying too much weight, I mean. It's apparent that the Creator of all things had foresight to acknowledge that people would come to him for rest right about the time they were overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions and contemplations. Being so fatigued to have no choice but to lay it down before the consequences were beyond imagination. The reality is we will take on excess in life. Whatever it is- THANK YOU, JESUS for having that covered!
It's not my scheduled commitments, or busyness. It's not trying. It's expecting. I expect too much from my children. I know this. I expect that even though their childhoods have been markedly different than my own, they can carry the weights that I did when I was their age. "They should be able..." How unfair is that? I'm not asking you. I'm asking myself. My memory of my personal history could be off as well. It's hard to pinpoint why I think "they should." In the grand scheme of things I'm not certain that it matters.
My husband, I may have said before, has the ability to keep our family grounded. He establishes good boundaries and battle plans for when the enemy strikes. So, when I discover myself being heavy laden by my expectations, he swoops in and saves the day with his timely and thoughtful skill.
I just have a few things to ponder.
"Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest." Matthew recorded that in his gospel, chapter 11, verse 28.
"Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy." Psalm 126:5 (NLT) I am often greatly blessed by the commentary of Matthew Henry. For this passage he writes:
"The beginnings of mercies encourage us to pray for the completion of them. And while we are in this world there will be matter for prayer, even when we are most furnished with matter for praise. Suffering saints are often in tears; they share the calamities of human life, and commonly have a greater share than others. But they sow in tears; they do the duty of an afflicted state. Weeping must not hinder sowing; we must get good from times of affliction. And they that sow, in the tears of godly sorrow, to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting; and that will be a joyful harvest indeed. Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be for ever comforted. When we mourn for our sins, or suffer for Christ's sake, we are sowing in tears, to reap in joy. And remember that God is not mocked; for whatever a man soweth that shall he reap, Ga 6:7-9. Here, O disciple of Jesus, behold an emblem of thy present labour and future reward; the day is coming when thou shalt reap in joy, plentiful shall be thy harvest, and great shall be thy joy in the Lord"And so for my children the main prayer I currently have for them is that I will not be a heavy burden. The responsibilities and privileges that go along will be appropriate. My expectations will be just. Although circumstances will not always go as planned or directed, that I would spread out a blanket of grace. We can rest on it, or picnic, knowing that it will get crumby, and sticky, and perhaps a few smudges of dirt might give opportunity for a cycle through the washer. We can be grateful to the Lord for his unfailing love and example. We can be restored to the abundant life that he has for us. It's a fix that's better than a patch.
One more for the road...
"For we do not rejoice in those things that are seen, but in these things that are unseen. For things seen are time related, but those things that are unseen are eternal." -2 Corinthians 4:18 from the Aramaic Bible in Plain English
I like myself better now, just in case you were wondering.
