Burdens Shared

Daily Gratitude Year 7-Day 181: Today, I am grateful for burdens shared. 

Today, my great niece turns three. She is a miracle to our family. One we prayed for with bold prayers that God answered in amazing ways. The "gives me chills" kind of answers where judges acted outside the realm of what is normal and where a sincere love for hurting birth parents grew in our nephew's and niece's hearts. 

As they surrendered all of it Him, they found a strange peace and God took over the fight. 

The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” -Exodus 14:14

Today... right now... I have two friends battling pancreatic cancer and one with a brain tumor. My heart aches for them as they face these trials... but then I am reminded that they are not alone. I can pray for their treatments, for their caregivers, for their families and for each decision they must make in the days and months ahead. 

The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” -Exodus 14:14

Today... right now... my family lives with Huntington's disease. Mama Ina Mae warms my heart as she praises her Lord through the difficult things and savors the smallest joys like daily dark chocolate, daily devotions, cappuccino and getting her nails done. 

The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” -Exodus 14:14 

Today... there are children battling cancer at nearby St. Jude and many other places. This cause is close to my heart and it always will be. It was an honor to share their lives and their burdens for so many years. I am grate for the many lessons they taught me, as they let me walk with them in the "valley of the shadow". Life unfolds with plot twists, miracles and for some... great loss. This would be a perfect pocket scripture for the toughest days:

The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” -Exodus 14:14 

If we can't control it... turn it over. 
If we are overwhelmed by the weight of a burden... turn it over. 
If another is hurting... we can look for ways to encourage and lighten their load.

Ultimately, our burden's shared with Christ are different than the kind we share with others.  A friend just challenged me to a deeper look at Matthew 11:27-30

“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” -Matthew 8:27-30

In Greek... the word for "rest" is anapauō.  It literally means to give up any burden... the entire weight of it... for rest and restoration. We can let our spirits calm when we rest in Him. It really is a supernatural peace. (Thanks, Darla, for sharing) 

Whatever our burden is today, we don't have to carry it alone. 

Today, I am grateful for burdens shared.