When we create our own burdens

We all have burdens to carry. Some are heavy. Some are not as heavy.

But some burdens are literal. Like the time I decided to purchase 50 pounds of peaches from Georgia. Being from Pennsylvania, we don’t get a treat like this often, and when I learned the peaches were being sold in a town near me, I made it my mission to purchase two boxes.

I did not realize that each box would weigh twenty five pounds. Actually, I did know that. It just didn’t register in my brain until they were placed in my outstretched arms.

Once they were in my possession, I had to walk three blocks, up a hill, to my car. With each step, the weight of the boxes became heavier.

I took twenty steps and stopped, looking for a place to set the boxes down. There wasn’t any.

I took another twenty steps and stopped again. I looked up the hill for my car. It seemed so far away. I sighed and continued walking.

I came to a crosswalk and waited to cross the street. My failing arms screamed in agony. If only I had an Aaron and Hur to hold my arms up like they did for Moses during war with the Amalekites.

Then I looked up to the sky and asked God for help.

Instantly, the clouds parted, voices of angels sang in my ears, and I heard a voice. It was deep and strong. It was God. He was speaking to me.

Ok, it didn’t happen exactly like that. But I did hear a voice and it was instant. It was a man walking towards me from across the street. “Can I help you with those?” he asked.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

Relief washed over me as he took the boxes. My arms were numb but relieved. The stranger graciously carried them to my car. I thanked him and waved as he headed off to buy his own peaches.

When I asked for help from God that morning, I did not believe than he would help. It’s not because of a lack of faith. It was because I didn’t feel I deserved his help.

Here I was standing in the morning, summer heat carrying more weight than I could handle. It was my own fault. I chose to purchase the peaches knowing how much they weighed. And I chose to park my car far away. I got myself into this mess and had to take all the credit for my predicament.

I did not think God would be interested in helping someone whose burden was of her own doing and so small compared to others who carried much heavier ones.

But he did.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. – Hebrews 4:15-16 (NIV)

We see God’s grace in action when he led the Israelites into the Promised Land. He did not do it because they deserved it. They complained and worshiped false gods, yet God fed, protected, and led them to the land he promised Abraham. All because of His grace.

Jesus knows our struggles and failures, both big and small. And it is through him that God’s grace is given to us.

Rooted in the Word of God

3 / 22 / 16

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. – [biblegateway passage=”Ephesians 3:17-18″ display=”Ephesians 3:17-18″]

Change can lead to happy occasions such as graduating from high school or having a baby.

It can also be bittersweet like saying goodbye to a loved one who is leaving home to pursue their calling from God.

Other changes make you stop and reflect on what was and what now is.

Recently my parents moved from the town they had lived in for more than twenty years. It’s the same town I call home even though I have not lived there in years.

On the day they moved, I experienced an emotional separation from this small and quiet town. I thought about the memories and the friends we made over the years – those friends who are still part of our lives today.

Until now, I returned every week to visit mom and dad. When I entered the city limits, I knew I was home. The sights and landmarks are as familiar to me as my family.

I love that I can walk into the grocery store and know all of the faces that greet me. And I love that I can sit in mom and dad’s backyard during the annual fair and visit with passersby.

Even though I no longer live there, it was comforting to know I could always go home to this place filled with many memories and still feel part of it.

When I moved away many years ago, I kept my roots planted there with mom and dad. It was my way of staying part of this wonderful town. But now that they are no longer there, what do I do with those roots?

[biblegateway passage=”Jeremiah 17:7-8″ display=”Jeremiah 17:7-8″] (NIV)

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

Jeremiah has taught me that my hometown roots provide wonderful memories of family and friends that I will always cherish. But I need to focus on growing other roots that are much more important.

Roots are the part of a tree that grow downward into the soil. They keep the tree anchored so that it does not fall over in the wind and provide water and food. Without roots, a tree cannot survive.

God’s word is our root. The more we read His word, the deeper our roots will be planted. These roots provide spiritual food, sustain us in the storms of life and keep us strong when temptations come our way.

The author of this[biblegateway passage=” Psalm 1:3″ display=” Psalm 1:3″] compares us to a tree. Planted by the water, a tree’s thirst is quenched through its roots, keeping it healthy and always bearing fruit.

When we study the word of God, we are fed and nourished through our roots, keeping us healthy and always bearing fruit.

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The importance of raising nieces

1 / 20 / 161 / 25 / 16

A few years ago, my twelve-year-old niece became angry with me for the very first time in her life. I don’t blame her. It was my fault. I did what no aunt should do and broke the “aunt code.”

I went to her mom – my sister – with an issue. Out of the goodness of her heart, my niece did something she thought was right.

I tried talking to her but she could not comprehend how her actions could affect others in a negative way. My guidance was not enough.

I have no children of my own and my sister and her husband have always been gracious enough to let me be a big part of my niece’s life. They trust me to show her right from wrong and to help guide her into becoming a young adult.