There are some people very near and dear to my heart who have helped me carry the load. I’m going to spend some time with a couple of them this weekend. I’m looking forward to it. Yes, I’m going there to speak about youth culture, to serve, and to minister to youth workers and parents. But I’m selfishly looking forward to spending time with some guys who have served as burden-bearers.
The other morning, I was reminded of how important these guys are as I prayed the day’s prayer in Scotty Smith’s Everyday Prayers.
“Jesus, here’s what I ask and need from you today. Help me not to be afraid of the emotional messiness that certain burdens bring. Help me know how to rely on your presence more than I rely on my words. I want to be aware of my limits, for sure… but I want to be even more aware of your limitless mercy, grace, power and peace.
For the woman who just got confirmation that the mass in her breast is malignant… for the dad who just lost, yet another job, in this fragile economy… for the couple whose two-year wait to welcome their adoptive child just ended childlessly… for missionary friends serving in Haiti a year after the earthquake who have to deal with a bottomless world of need with limited resources… for the parents who’ve spent all and who are spent from trying to rescue their daughter from the ravages of an eating disorder…
For the friend who preaches a powerful gospel, which bears fruit in everybody’s children but his own… for the friends who are having to pay a great price for a misdiagnosed medical condition… for the couples who are sleeping all alone in the same bed… for the church family that is splintered by graceless pettiness… for those who are telling me, “This is too much, I cannot and will not go on. . .”
What burdens do the kids you know and love carry? What burdens do your friends carry? What burdens can we carry for them?