You can turn your burdens into blessings
Human beings routinely spit out food they find distasteful, and remove clothing they deem doesn’t flatter, yet treasure thoughts that make them miserable and carry worries that makes them have sleepless nights. Why the self-torment?
Rev Dr Ndjungu Nkemba, a General Board of Global Ministry Missionary serving in the Cameroon Mission Initiative of the United Methodist Church has an interesting story that illustrates how very often we forget about Jesus’ presence in our lives, how we forget about the blood of Jesus Christ shared on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and so that we can worry no more.
Rev Nkemba, while serving as District Superintendent for the Mwajinga District of the United Methodist Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo and living with his wife Mbwizu and their kids at the Mwajinga United Methodist Church Mission Centre, will travel to Sandoa, some 16 Kilometers away from Mwajinga for church meetings but also to buy food and other items from the bigger shops in Sandao. On one of his trips to Sandoa, he meets this older lady, who he recognizes as one of his church members, walking towards Sandoa, coming from her farm and carrying a heavy bag of fruits, vegetables and wood on her head and bag. Rev Nkemba offers a ride to the older lady, who accepts with joy and appreciation. One of the men driving with Rev Nkemba offers to move to the back of the truck so this older lady can have a sit inside the car, but the older lady refuses this offer and insist on getting on the back of the truck. The other men got out of the truck, helped the older lady get into the truck and they all continue their trip to Sandoa. After driving for about 5 minutes, Rev Nkemba noticed that the older lady had picked up the load she had been carrying before she was invited to come into the truck and was carrying the same load on her back and head, just like when she was on foot. Rev Nkemba stopped the car and went to the back of the truck to talk to the lady and find out why she was still carrying all the load she had on her while she was walking. With a very broad smile she responded, “Pastor, you are helping to transport me to Sandoa, placing this load in your car, will be asking you too much”.Rev Nkemba took another five minutes to help the older lady understand that the truck was capable of carrying both her and her load separately. Rev Nkemba, concluded this story with these words, “Collins my son, a lot of Christians are like this old lady, they come to Christ but still continue carrying their different loads”.
As young people, we worry about a lot; about what tomorrow holds for us and about how our church is going to look like in the future. To worry and be concerned about a situation is natural, but when this worries and concerns become a burden, then there is a problem. In Matthew 6:27 God speaks to us about worries, being concern, about anxiety “And which of you being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life”. This implies, that we are to commit our whole cause to him. If we suffer heavy trials; if we lose our friends, health, or property; if we have arduous and responsible duties to perform; if we feel that we have no strength, and are in danger of being crushed by what is laid upon us, we may go and cast all upon the Lord; that is, we may look to him for grace and strength, and feel assured that he will enable us to sustain all that is laid upon us. The relief in this case will be as real and as full of consolation, as if he took the burden and bore it himself. Christ will enable us to bear with ease what we supposed we could never have done; and it will be with a renewed strength that we will be facing those situations which initially seemed impossible.
Bible Reading: Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
Psalm 55:22
Prayer: O God, teach us to wait upon the Lord and to be of good courage. Help us find that peace and strength that surpasses all understanding, as we surrender all to the Lord. Amen
Affirmation for the day: I can turn my burdens into blessings, if only I can cast them upon the Lord.
Collins Etchi Ako