By, Haley Zimmerman
A mom picked up her son from school. His hair was messy and his face was beaded with sweat from his last recess.
“I have a surprise for you,” she said. They began to walk to the car as he recalled the events of his day. She opened the door to reveal the surprise – a blue snow cone, his favorite flavor.
He was overwhelmed with joy and excitement, but as he reached for the cool treat he began to cry. He wanted the snow cone that his mother bought him, but he just could not carry it.
He wore a heavy backpack on his shoulders, with a lunchbox in one hand and several drawings in the other hand.
“Mom!” He cried. “I can’t carry it!” His hands were full. The mother gently asked her son to lay down the items that weighed him down. He gladly dropped everything at her feet in exchange for that refreshing treat. She understood. Blessings feel more like burdens when your hands are full.
Psalm 69:18 says, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits,
even the God of our salvation. Selah.”
God plans to bless us each day with things that will benefit us. How often I have I viewed these blessings as burdens because I just could not carry the weight of it all?
When people see me with my five kids, they love to say, “Wow, you have your hands full!” And I can no longer come up with clever responses to that obvious statement. I usually just smile, nod my head, and move on. My hands are always full. But you don’t have to raise children for your hands to be full. Many women are overwhelmed with work, school, relationships and responsibilities.
We also carry the mental load of pressure, anxiety, and fears. We each have things that weigh us down. But God wants us to exchange the heaviness of our burdens for the tenderness of His benefits.
Psalm 55:22a says, “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee.”
Surrender it all to him. So, here are some practical ways to cast your burdens on Him.
1. Write it down.
Some days, my head is spinning. And those things I can see (daily tasks, appointments, past-due bills, and groceries) pile up on top of the things no one sees--like Mom-guilt, regret about the past and worries over the future. It feels like a juggling act. And I’ve dropped too many balls to count. Have you been there?
STOP. Write it all down as fast as you can. Pray about it. Cross off what’s not so important. Circle what cannot wait. Add to the list as other things as they come to your mind. Check items off as your accomplish them. Then keep the list as a reminder of God’s sustaining grace for your daily needs. I like to write Psalm 57:2 somewhere on my list. “I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.”
2. Take a break.
Yes, you can do this. Take a walk. Lie down in your bed. Sit on your porch or at your desk. Listen to some calming music. And ask those around you (kids, husband, coworkers) to give you a five minutes alone. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and ask God to give you enough clarity to process what must be accomplished. Then wait on him and claim this promise from Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
3. Change your perspective.
Have you ever tried to carry 7 bags of potatoes? That’s a cumbersome load. Carrying all those bags from your car to your house would be a difficult task. But what if you carry your sleeping toddler the same distance? The heaviness of their body and the warmth of their breath are quite calming. Same weight, different perspective. Ask God to give you fresh perspective on the things you must carry.
4. Believe that God cares for you.
This is the greatest reason to cast those burdens on the Lord. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” God does not love us more when we carry our weights well. Because He loves us, He wants us to cast them on Him. He will always carry them better than we do.
So drop those burdens at His feet and choose the blessings He desires to lavish on you.