Skip to main content

A Light Burden

When I think of surrender, images of grass huts in Africa or high rise apartments in the inner city flood my mind. If I take that dangerous step and tell God I'll be completely His, will He ask me to do something scary for Him? I once was afraid God would call me to be a single missionary; now, I'm afraid He'll ask me to live in anonymity scrubbing floors for the rest of my life. Do these types of fears hold you back too? Reckless trust (as Brennan Manning calls it) or Radical Obedience (Lysa Terkeurst): these words convey the adventure and abandon that come with surrender. We stand back on the edge of the wide open, hovering near the precipice of that leap of faith, fear of the unknown gripping us and pulling us back.

Don't worry. I WILL get to the thankful part. Bear with me.

The phone rings with some new opportunity for service and because I want to do everything for Jesus (though I haven't actually asked Him about it), I immediately say "yes." Before I know it, burdens are piling up around me, and soon I feel overwhelmed. I cry out, "God, why do you place such heavy burdens on me? I can't carry all of this? I am so weary all the time."

And He gently answers,

Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”


I am weary because I have not been walking in stride with Jesus. I am burdened because I have taken on things He never meant for me to carry. His burden is light and His yoke is easy. There's no fear of what He might ask me to do because He will give me rest and He cares for this little soul of His.

Thank You Jesus for Your rest. For your light burdens and for your easy yoke.



For more thankful hearts today, visit Lynn at Unequal Marriage.

Comments

Unknown said…
Aah, knowing that He will carry our burdens when we allow Him, not pushing Himself on us, but waiting for us to realize our utter need for Him.

Have a blessed day!
Denise said…
Really great post.
Vicki said…
Girlfriend, as the kids used to say, "I feel ya".. I think you've expressed much of what many of us feel but dare not admit:-) Aren't you glad His grace is so sufficient?! Wow. He's all we need. Thank you for the huge dose of encouragement today!

love you,
Vicki
Cheryl said…
"Come to me" I love those words. You have a great TT list. Thanks for sharing. God Bless!
Marsha said…
I loved your post, Heather. I am a missionary that is stateside. However, I have a daughter and her family that are missionaries in Kenya - not a good place to be right now. I also have a new granddaughter that is 2 months old that I've never met that is over there. She may be 1 or 2 until I get to hold her for the first time.

When God calls you to something, whether it be foreign missions or serving locally in our churches, His yoke is always light, and His grace is always plentiful to help us through those hard times, like trusting Him for the safety of my family in Kenya.

Blessings to you dear sister.
Anonymous said…
This has always been a source of comfort and relief for me and my family. My father loves this one a lot.

Happy TT.
Susan said…
Hi Heather,

Happy TT! Sorry I'm so late getting over here.

Loved your post.

Thank GOD He is there to help carry our burdens.

We just need to keep yoked up to him.

Blessings to you.
This verse is popping up everywhere along my path. I guess I need to really ask the Lord, "Are you talking to me?" I think he is.

Thanks for being his vessel for me today. I'm listening...

Rest in him, my friend. I'm trying.
Unknown said…
Hi Heather,

I know exactly how you feel. I have come to learn that about every six months the Lord asks me to reevaluate and prune stuff from my life.

Lord, See my friend Heather. Grant her clarity about her future service. Direct her path and allow her time for rest. In Jesus name, Amen

Love you my friend. Lynn

Popular posts from this blog

Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? by Phillip Yancey

Shannon, at Rocks in my Dryer , is hosting a huge giveaway! Isn't that exciting! I love to give something meaningful to my friends - as I shop, I always look for just the right item that fits our relationship and the individual's personality. So, if you stop by this little blog of mine, I think you might like this gift I've picked out. This fall, I have been nourished by the wisdom of Phillip Yancey in his recent book on prayer. Our Bible study has plumbed the depths of prayer with Yancey's help in this amazing book. My personal prayer life has been challenged and I have probed the deeper questions surrounding prayer with a beloved mentor. I would love for you to enjoy this book too. I'll be giving the book away to one blessed commenter. So, leave a comment here and I'll be drawing a name next week to give away this treasure box full of well-mined jewels from God's Word and life's experiences. Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered in the draw...

Thankful Thursday

A few things that fill my heart with gratitude... *Bright explosions in the sky *Bug repellent *Calamine and band aids for when we forget about the bug repellent (and the polka dot girl I put to bed each night whose sensitive skin seems to attract the little suckers) *Days spent at the beach *Life jackets *Aloe, although it can't take away a lobster red sunburn, it does soothe *Photographs and memories *The public library. My family has been enjoying plenty of summer library programs. *Ok, I'm even thankful for cockroaches. The kids sure had fun playing with the huge ones the "Bug Guy" Brought in for the last program we attended. They even ate a few bugs. (I am NOT joking!) I, on the other hand, found it conveniently necessary to excuse myself to the restroom right around the time the roaches and tarantulas were being brought out. *I'm thankful for a new job...which will be starting soon (more on that later). *Green slime, explosions, goggles and lab coats...yes,...

God's Encouragement

I am thankful this week for so much, but I have to share my little piece of encouraging news first. I submitted a little article to our newspaper and then I found out they don't accept unsolicited submissions, so I forgot all about it. Then, in our paper today, I saw my article! It was a little encouragement from God to keep plowing away at this writing thing even when it seems difficult. He is so tender-hearted toward me, I feel overwhelmed! I'm also thankful for the world class concert I attended today. I would have paid top notch prices for this concert which played out in a small bedroom with a karaoke. The first artist was a young singer who wrote her own music (straight from her heart) and the song was something about glorifying God by loving Him in all we do. She sang as she danced about in her ballerina costume. Next up was a short toucan with a toddler face peeping out and a loud voice. His arms moved to the music as he told us "My God is so big, so stwo...