A lighter moment hit as I realized how dramatic I have become over this when I notice how closely my words over my petty problems resemble Jobs words concerning his horrific troubles.
A thought struck me this afternoon, a reminder of something I'd heard a while back while listening to the radio. A pastor was giving an example. He walked up to his congregation holding out a glass of water. He asked if anyone thought the weight of the glass was too much of a burden for him. Obviously, everyone in the congregation agreed that their pastor was more than capable of holding a glass of water. But the pastor began to illustrate his point by reminding them that he was still holding the water. What if he continued holding it out for an hour? Or a day? He told them by the end of two days he would have either given up trying to hold up the water or his arm would be screaming in agony.
His point, he asserted, was not in how heavy or light our burdens are, but in how long we try and carry them.
My problem is I don't know how to let these burdens down. If I try, I feel entirely unChristlike and selfish for keeping myself from a burden. Yet, holding on to them makes me resentful and that too, I'm relatively certain is not Christ-like. The true and sincere question comes to mind. What would Jesus do?
MY God, the God of infinite mercy and grace, whose love and power are self-proclaimed to be everlasting. I need you.
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2 comments:
Okay I think we have taken a step in the right direction.
Giving up a burden does not mean that you choose to set it aside and ignore it. Nor does it mean that once you give it up it will go away. It means that you realize that you need help in dealing with it. That help my be in resolution or the God given ability to bear up under it.
Scripture says we will not be handed anything that we can not handle with God's assistance. No I will admit that there are ocassions that I wish God did not think so highly of my ability to things. But there is a lot of comfort for me in knowing it is temporary, even if I carry it to death it is just temporary.
The glass of water, what if the pastor was never able to put it down? Would the weight of it taken over his life and become the most important thing in his life? Would he have turned asked for help?
If he could not set the glass down, where could he turn to get some relief?
What is the purpose of being stuck holding a glass of water?
What if you were being obsrved by other people who were holding glasses of water and they were watching you to see how you dealt with the burden of yours so they could follow your example in dealing with theirs?
What if God wants others to see how you deal with the glass of water instead of taking the glass of water from you?
Are you willing to hold a glass of water if that is what God is asking of you?
Your last 4 questions really caught my attention. The 1st of them "What is the purpose of being stuck holding a glass of water?" is exactly what I'm thinking. It's like God handed me some water and walked off and I'm wondering when He's going to come back.
The last three questions really stuck with me. Thanks for opening my eyes to those thoughts.
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