He ain't heavy, he's my brother!

Yesterday I felt I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.  Do you ever have days like that?  With so many tasks requiring my time and effort (taxes being one of those tasks . . . causes palpitations just thinking about it!), I shut down and sat staring at my computer screen.  With a picture of Jesus Christ the Returning King staring back at me with such love, I couldn't help but ask Him for a little Divine Intervention.  (I love looking at this every morning!)

It was the end of the day, and felt I didn't accomplish much.  It would be easy to call one of my girls or sisters or friends to unload my burdens.  Grant it, there are times we just need to vent.  But, the burdens we carry are our crosses.  Why would we want to burden others with our heavy load?  Our focus should be to ease others of their burdens to the best of our ability.  Not weigh them down with ours.  So, indeed, Jesus jump started me into action distracting me away from tasks I could not accomplish at that moment.  I am becoming quite the Do It Yourself woman since becoming single.  I actually got my act together, went to Lowe's and got some carpet tape.  I was going to replace a patch of carpet in one of the bedrooms that my youngest spilled glue on in high school.  Long story short, after several attempts to cut an exact size out of the remnant carpet, I got it right!  And, by the grace of God, it looks darn good!  Got me out of my funk and revitalized. Who would have thought something that trivial would be the healing salve I needed to strap on my daily burdens again in the morning.  Isn't He amazing?

In today's Gospel (Mt 23:1-12), Jesus tells the crowds and His disciples about directing our focus on easing others burdens:

"The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen.”

In the October 2005 Monthly Message from Jesus, He gives us a beautiful way to view our daily burdens:

“ . . . If you rise each day and pledge allegiance to God, you will begin that day with more thought of serving than being served. In this way, you look at your day as an opportunity to work for heaven and to work for heaven’s children, your brothers and sisters. This perspective sends you into the day as a servant. When  the day presents you with the inevitable opportunities to assist or console, or simply to be tolerant of your brothers or sisters, you do not view this as a burden, or an interruption in your entertainment and comfort, but as a request made to you directly from the Throne of your God. And fulfilling a request made to you by your God brings you joy. You serve heaven and we fulfill our part of the agreement by sending you joy. If all of God’s children were living this way, there would be great joy on earth and through this joy would come peace. But if even one of God’s children makes the commitment to serve as a beloved apostle, there is an increase of joy and an increase in peace. This is because an apostle does not become angry when he or she is inconvenienced. That apostle responds in calm trust when the world presents them with difficulty or even pain. There is no striking out at others. There is no rebelliousness. There is peace.”

I am not superwoman anymore.  The older I get, the more I realize my limits.  The world will go on if I don't post a blog entry one day.  And, missing one workout won't undo all I have achieved in health and fitness.  Don't be so hard on yourself.  And, always seek consolation from the Lord.  You never know where He will send you, but go there with optimism in service to Him.

Thank you, Lord, for consoling and refocusing me when I am heavily burdened.  I kind of like this DIY stuff!  I am open to whatever You send me!

God bless,

Bonnie