Cross to Bear

 

As the rain pours outside my window, it can mirror all that is happening in life.  The phrase “when it rains, it pours” can sum up much of what can go on in our lives on a daily basis.   We review the days and all that they encompass, the mounting lists at work, the mounting lists at home, the commitment we make to others, the lack of commitment we make to ourselves, and then the items that come at us from out of nowhere.  Each one of those areas can put an immense amount of stress on our lives, the rain.  Pile them on top of each other and you move from “rain” to it “pouring” stress into our lives.

My husband and I were talking the other day and he was reminded of something that his parents used to say, “God will only give you a cross to bear that you can manage.”  There have been plenty of times in my life where I thought differently.  There were times when my cross was too heavy, and that God was concentrating on someone else’s life and forgot about me.  Oh, the contrary!!  My cross was not too heavy, I was not relying on the One who could lift the cross for me and bear the burden!

As Paul reminds us in our verse for today, when we set our hope on God, He will deliver us.  When it is ‘pouring,’ it can be so hard to see what can help us.  Sometimes we may turn to things that do not help us – such as alcohol, or in my case, food.  Other times we can turn to things that we believe will bring us relief, such as a shopping spree.  Yet, what we realize is that we will buy things we do not need (and incur debt).  When we turn our attention away from earthly things to provide us hope and turn to the One who can truly deliver hope, the pouring rain begins to stop.  Lo and behold, rainbows of hope appear.

It is hard to live under the cloud of ‘so much I can’t handle it anymore.’  The good news is we do not have to live under the cloud.  Even as the rain is pouring down on us, we know that the rainbow will come.  Trusting in God brings us hope for tomorrow.  Yielding to His broad shoulders to help carry our weight brings us peace.  It may not take away all that is happening, but it does provide us the faith that tomorrow will bring better skies.  That hope drives me to smile again, to walk with a lighter step, and to know that He will give me all that I need to be the person He wants me to be.  Take the leap of simple faith and give your pouring rain to God.  He is there waiting for you to fill up His bucket so He can pour your deserved blessings upon you!

Heavenly Father, please strengthen our faith to have hope in you.  May you listen to our cries and deliver us from the crosses we bear so we may have joy.  Bring us relief to our burdens and perspective to our trials that we know you are truly the one in control.  Amen.