"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
This passage was brought to my attention at the end of last week, through a friend who told me that I should lighten up a bit. I wasn't sad, nor was I was angry with anyone; but I was a little stressed. (Okay–I was probably more stressed than what I allowed myself to believe.) I hadn't written a blog post in two weeks, I used spending time with family and friends as an excuse to not work on stuff, and therefore my fundraising efforts seemed to be at a standstill. I felt like I was failing at being a good missionary. This ideal of what I thought I should be doing or what I thought I should be feeling didn't match up with my reality. But I was encouraged by this last line: "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
During this week, Matthew 11:28-30 was presented to me everyday, either through another person or through me "randomly" flipping to a page in the Bible to read.
I think God's trying to tell me something.
In spending time with my Father, I've realized that I had been so focused on getting things done the "correct" way and controlling my life to fit my ideals. In doing so, I had taken on my own hard yoke and heavy burdens (basically making things way more complicated and stressful than they had to be) when God is offering to trade it all for His. God doesn't require me to be the most consistent blogger; He doesn't ask me to fundraise the same way other Racers are fundraising; and He won't love me any less if I don't feel free all the time. I just need to focus on and rely upon Him, and the things that I do–even if they are tiring and work-related–will not be so heavy and burdensome.
In spending time with several different people this week, I think it's safe to say that I'm not alone in this. For those of you who have faithfully read thus far, I hope to be of some encouragement by reminding you that no matter what presssures or expectations you place on yourself, God is fully wanting, willing, and able to replace your yoke for His. For His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
