There are days I just don’t know how I am going to get it all done – work, deadlines, visiting friends in nursing homes, caring for the home, pets, etc. Stress is a word. It seems I have a heavier ‘cross’ to carry than others. At moments, I am not sure I can bear up under the strain of everything and if someone adds one more thing to my already overloaded schedule, I feel I may just have some bad moments.
I look around and so many others seem to have it easy. They have enough money, enough time, happy families, and on and on. They do not seem to struggle much. I guess if I knew everything, I may think differently. It doesn’t take long to know everyone has concerns.
A friend shared a little story with me, a story of a girl who felt her ‘cross’ was heavier than those around her. When she slept, she was taken to a large room filled with crosses. There were large crosses and jewel adorned crosses and many others. In the corner was a small, plain cross. When the girl saw this little cross, she said, “I would like that one. I think I can manage that one small cross in the corner.” It was then she was then told that was the cross she had been carrying all along. This humbles me.
I ask God to show me my easy load as I watch others caring for disabled children, elderly family members struggling with dementia and other medical conditions, those living on small incomes, veterans returning with emotional concerns, and many other struggles.
I only need to walk the hallways of a hospital to see the faces of those worrying for the ones they love and those who have been given life changing test results. I only need walk the halls of detox centers to see the empty faces of those who do not know how to recover from addictions. I only need walk the streets to see the homeless and those who are lonely. I only need to visit the closest food bank to see ones who struggle to feed their children. I only need to take time to listen to others share with me about losing family when they were young, being raised by single moms, watching other families love each other and wondering why their family is different.
And when I do, my easy load no longer seems to be so overwhelming. I want to be able to share with anyone struggling how Jesus knows their path and all they face each day and does not disregard them in any way (Isaiah 40.27) but wants to help in every way, every day. And God wants me to help others as much as I am able to make their load a little lighter.
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