I’ve Got My Hands Full
Cast your cares on Him for He cares for you. 1 Pet 5:7
I want to share 3 memories
#1 I was at Camp Blue Haven, one of the prettiest spots in
the world. We were sitting in the dining hall which was “rustic”, with long
tables and plank floors. My sister was kitchen help that year and came out of
the kitchen with two plates of Rice Krispy cookies balanced on her arm. She had
broken her wrist falling off the rope swing after a series of poor decisions. I was impressed with her ability to balance,
but even then I wanted desperately to be able to do things as well as she did. Instead of complimenting her, in a burst of passive
aggressive teasing, I said, “Don’t drop it.!” Guess what happened next.
#2
It was senior year and I was in the choir musical. We
practiced at 6:30 in the morning. I would sit at the bar with a bowl of Grape
Nuts in front of me and my hot rollers to the side. I would take a bite and put
in a curler. By the time I was finished with my cereal the curlers would be
cool. I would brush out my hair and gather my things, and then rush to
practice. When practice let out at 7:55, I would make my way to the office and
call Mom. The individual items were different, but the message was the same.
“Mom, I forgot my PE uniform and my history book.” (Or clarinet, homework, book
report) No matter how hard I tried, I
never got to school with everything I needed during the time we were
practicing. Bless my mom’s heart! She would hang up and gather my lost items
and put them in my locker. My other memory of this time was frantically taking
notes in history class, only to realized I had dozed off . My line of notes
ended in an indecipherable scribble snaking to the top of the page.
#3
One night this winter it was bitterly cold. My husband asked
me to go get him 2 twelve packs of coke.
I decided that while I was out I would get something warm to drink. I got out
of the car carrying the cokes and the drink carrier with hot chocolate for me
and coffee for him. The steam was wafting into my nostrils and my mouth was
watering. I unlocked the door and as I was pushing it open the drink container tilted
and my hot chocolate fell spilling every drop. I sat down and cried because it
was the last straw for the day and I couldn’t think of anything else to do. My
husband looked at me dumbfounded for a few minutes and then suggested that I go
find replacement hot chocolate.
In all 3 of these cases the problem happened because we were
trying to carry too many things and not asking for help. This is a common theme
in my life. It is also a common theme in my emotional and spiritual life. I take too many things on myself without
asking for help from God or my brothers and sisters. Things I have tried to
carry on my own are guilt, worries, and hurts. I can quickly get overloaded and
drop things like compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Colossians
3:12) Fortunately God knows our tendency to do this and has provided the
solution.
When it comes to my guilt, it is useless. Salvation comes
from God and his based on His work, not mine. Ephesians 2:9 tells us that “we
are saved by grace through faith, not by works lest any man should boast.“ We are even told that our righteousness is
like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
My worry is just as pointless. Matthew 6 tells us the danger
and futility of worry. Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or
what you shall drink or what you shall wear. For which of you by being anxious
can add a single cubit to your height.
Carrying my hurts has been a tough habit to break. I tried for a long time to make excuses for
people’s behaviors, burying how I felt. The result was that the hurts just
festered and didn’t go away. Then they would spew out at random times and leave
destruction in their wake. Ephesians 4:31-32 says this. “Get rid of all
bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander along with every form of
malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as
in Christ God forgave you. “
Galatians 6:1 says “Bear one another’s burdens and so
fulfill the law of Christ. I realized
that whenever I read that verse I focused on bearing other people’s
burdens. I neglected the other half of
the equation. I need to be willing to let other people bear my burdens. God has
designed us so we are part of the body. One
part needs to help the others.
Can you partner with me in trying to lay down our burdens?
