How heavy do you think a glass of water is? It depends on how long you hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it is Ok. If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you will have to call an ambulance. It is the exact same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, we will not be able to carry on, the burden becoming increasingly heavier. What you have to do is to put the glass down, rest for a while holding it up again. We have to put down the burden periodically, so that we can be refreshed and are able to carry on. When you return home from work, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Rest and relax. Take one day at a time!!!!!
You have burdens. Real burdens that weigh down your spirit. Obligations self-imposed or cultural expectations. The almighty to-do list and the societal imputing of productivity. Children. Enough said. Bills and the emotional weight it carries. Broken air conditioners and the rise of irritability. The burden of keeping appearances. Doctor visits and poor health. The burden of tooth care and proper flossing techniques. The burden of the poor, the hungry children, the marginalized in our own city. The burden of a spouse or a loved one to give them your all. The burden of good grades and making your parents proud. The burden of hidden sin and avoiding justice. The burden of pride, lust, greed, selfishness, hate, anger, criticism, jealousy, unforgiveness. The tyranny of time.
While chatting with my wife late one evening after we got the kids to sleep, we talked about one of life’s epiphanies. We talked about irritability. Melissa commented that she really learned more about me when raising Autumn. You see Autumn would become wildly irritable and poorly behaved when she was exhausted and needed sleep. The proper term used is “slangry”. This discovery in Autumn helped Melissa realize why I would become irrationally irritable after sleepless nights with Ella. Sleep and proper rest does the soul good! Jesus says, “Come to me and I will give you rest!”
