Sharing the Burden
This week has been challenging for me. It was hard to put my finger on it. All I knew is the way I felt. On Tuesday morning, I woke up feeling rested but within minutes I felt like my energy was being siphoned off. It was the strangest thing. As the week went on, I felt better but not fully. Something was off. I later realized that I had all these “windows” open in the background of my brain (much like a computer) and these open “windows” were using up my resources. I realized, that these “windows” didn’t need to be open. They were things the Lord had told me to leave at His feet but somehow I had reopened them.
In times like these, I lean on my community. This way, I can reorient myself to face Jesus rather than carry my burdens alone. When I got on my prayer call with two of my friends, I told them how I was feeling and they lifted me up to the Father. I could immediately feel the burden lift from my soul as they prayed. I was so grateful for their support. A few days later, I had the privilege to do the same for a freind who called and asked for prayer.
Sometimes, in community, our friends just know because the Lord has told them what we need. One of my friends told me she had been praying for a particular area of my life. This is an area in which I have been contending for years, and frankly I’m tired. Unsolicited, my friend said to me, “I’m taking this area of your life to contend for because I know that you are tired.” I immediately closed that “window” and felt the burden lift off my shoulders. This also happened to a diffent friend of mine who was shown someone else’s burden. Now, she’s taken it up and will contend until the answer is realized.
There is something powerful about being in community and helping each other with our burdens. What I’ve realized is that even when I have taken up the Lord’s easy yoke and light burden I can still grow weary. Afterall, I am human and inevitably fall back into familiar ways that cause the burden to be heavy. But my community, always comes to bridge the gap.
Assisting each other with our burdens is quite powerful and ultimately benefits the community as a whole. Remember how Aaron and Hur assisted in the battle against Amalek?
Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” Moses built an altar and named it The Lord is My Banner; and he said, “The Lord has sworn; the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.”
– Exodus 17: 8-16 NASB 1995
Aaron and Hur’s assist helped secure the Israelites’ victory against Amalek. This was such a significant victory that the Lord had Moses “write in a book as a memorial and recite” to Joshua His intent to blot the memory of the Amalek from under heaven. Now, that’s significant impact.
Friend, who can help you close your “windows” or whose “windows” can you help close? Reach out to your community to help you with your burden. Or ask the Lord to show you someone who needs your assist in prayer.
Let’s share the load and remember the words of The Hollies,
“[S]he Ain’t Heavy, [S]he’s My Brother[Sister].”
Until next week …
Miracles + Blessings!
Brenda
p.s. Happy Independence Day to all my Zimbabweans! 🇿🇼
0 Comments