"Oh God, I cried,"let me sleep, Let me sleep
With a deep sob I tried to will myself into oblivion,
"My child," the person asked, "why do you want
"Lord, I'm sorry. It's just that...I can't go on.
"But haven't I told you to cast all of your burdens upon Me,
"I knew You would say that.
"My child, everyone in the world has a burden.
"I can do that?"
He pointed to several burdens lying at His feet.
All of them seemed to be of equal size.
"There's Joan's," I said. Joan was married to a wealthy businessman.
"Let me try that one." How difficult could her burden be? I thought.
The Lord removed my burden and placed Joan's on my shoulders.
"Take it off!" I said. "What makes it so heavy?"
"Look inside."
I untied the straps and opened the top. Inside was a figure
I quickly placed the figure back in the pack and withdrew another.
A third figure was Joan's brother. Addicted to drugs,
"I see why her burdens are so heavy, Lord.
"Would you like to try another?" He asked quietly
I tested several. Paula's felt heavy. She was raising four
"They're all too heavy, Lord," I said. "Give back my own."
"Let's look inside," He said.
I turned away, holding it close. "That's not a good idea," I said.
"Why?"
"There's a lot of junk in there"
"Let Me see."
The gentle thunder of His voice compelled me. I opened my burden.
He picked out a stone.
"Tell Me about this one"
"Lord, You know. It's money. I know we don't suffer like people
"My child, I will supply all of your needs...and your children's.
Then He lifted out the figure of a small boy. "And this?"He asked.
"Andrew..." I hung my head, ashamed to call my son a burden. "But, Lord,
"My child,"He said, "if you trust Me, I will renew your strength, if you
Then He took some pebbles from my burden.
"Yes, Lord," I said with a sigh. "Those are small. But they're
"My child, people look at your outward appearance, but I look at your heart.
My burden now seemed lighter than before.
"I guess I can handle it now" I said.
There is more," He said. "Hand Me that last brick."
"Oh, You don't have to take that. I can handle it."
"My child, give it to Me."
Again His voice compelled me. He reached out His hand,
"But Lord, this stone is so awful, so nasty, so....Lord!
No longer focused on my burden, I looked for the first time into His
"Lord,"I whispered. "What happened to You?"
His loving eyes reached into my soul.
My child...you know. Hand Me the stone.
"How?" I asked.
With My blood."
"But why, Lord?"
Because I loved you with an everlasting love. Give it to Me."
I placed the filthy stone into His wounded palm. It contained all the
He turned to the cross and hurled my stone into the pool of blood at its base. It hardly made a ripple.
"Now My child, you need to go back. I will be with you always.
"Yes, Lord, I will call upon You."
I reached to pick up my burden.
"You may leave that here if you wish. You see all these other burdens?
As I placed my burden with Him, the light began to fade.
A peace flooded my soul.
"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
(Matthew 11:28-30)
"Why was my burden so heavy?" I slammed the bedroom door
and leaned against it. Is there no rest from this life?
I wondered. I stumbled to my bed and dropped onto it,
pressing my pillow around my ears to shut out the noise of my existance.
forever and never wake up!"
then welcomed the darkness that came over me.
Light surrounded me as I regained consciousness.
I focused on it's source: the figure of a man standing before a cross.
to come to Me before I am ready to call you?"
You see how hard it is for me. Look at this awful burden
on my back. I simply can't carry it anymore.
because I care for you? My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."
But why does mine have to be so heavy?"
Perhaps you would like to try a different one?"
"You may try any of these."
But each was labeled with a name.
She lived in a sprawling estate and dressed her three daughters
in the prettiest designer clothes. Sometimes she drove me
to church in her Cadillac when my car was broken down.
I sank to my knees beneath it's weight.
of her Mother-in-law, and when I lifted it out, it began to speak....
"Joan, you'll never be good enough for my son," it began.
"He never should have married you. You're a terrible
mother to my grandchildren..."
It was Donna, Joan's youngest daughter. Her head was
bandaged from the surgery that failed to resolve her epilepsy.
he had been convicted of killing a police officer.
But she's always smiling and helping others. I didn't realize..."
small boys without a father. Deborah's did too: a childhood
of sexual abuse and a marriage of emotional abuse. When
I came to Ruth's burden, I didn't even try. I knew that inside
I would find arthritis, old age, a demanding full-time job,
and a beloved husband in a nursing home.
As I lifted the familiar load once again, it seemed
much lighter than the others.
in some countries or even the homeless here in America.
But we have no insurance, and when the kids get sick,
we can't always take them to the doctor. They've never
been to a dentist. And I'm tired of dressing them in hand-me-downs."
I've given them healthy bodies. I will teach them
that expensive clothing doesn't make a person valuable in My sight."
he's hyperactive. He's not quiet like the other two. he makes me so tired.
He's always getting hurt, and someone is bound to think I abuse him. I yell
at him all the time. Someday I may really hurt him..."
allow Me to fill you with My Spirit, I will give you patience."
important. I hate my hair. It's thin, and I can't make it look nice.
I can't afford to go to the beauty shop. I'm overweight
and can't stay on a diet. I hate all my clothes. I hate the way I look!"
By My Spirit you can gain self-control to lose weight. But your beauty
should not come from outward appearance. Instead, it should come from your inner self,
the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in My sight."
and for the first time I saw the ugly wound.
What happened to Your hands? They are so scarred!"
face. In His brow were ragged scars--as though
someone had pressed thorns into His flesh.
It belongs to Me. I bought it."
dirt and evil of my life: my pride, my selfishness, my secret
sins, the depression that constantly tormented me.
When you are troubled, call to Me and I will help you and show
you things you cannot imagine now."
They are the ones that others have left at My feet. Joan's, Paula's, Debra's, Ruth's...
When you leave your burden here, I carry it with you. Remember, My yoke
is easy and My burden is light."
Yet I heard Him whisper,"I will never leave you, nor forsake you."
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."
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