Sabbath Keeping ~ Burdens

“Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.”     ~ Psalm 55:22 ~

“Any concern too small to be a prayer is too small to be a burden.”                                      ~ Corrie ten Boom ~

“The burden of intelligence: you can always imagine all those wonderful places where you can never belong.” ~ Robert Reed ~

“Sorrows burden are doubled when borne alone.”

“Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, cast the shadow of our burden behind.”          ~ Samuel Smiles ~

“If God can turn night into day, He can turn burden’s into blessings.” ~ unknown ~

“Never give up. Never given in. Never become hostile. Hate is too big a burden to bear.”                    ~ John Lewis ~

“Today’s burdens can strengthen you for tomorrow.” ~ Mark Twain ~

“Don’t let your mind bully your body into believing it must carry the burden of its worries.”              ~ Astrid Alauda ~

“No man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow’s burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can bear.” ~ George MacDonald ~

“Money and time are the heaviest burdens of life, and…the unhappiest of all mortals are those who have more of either than they know how to use.” ~ Samuel Johnson ~

“Casting all your care upon Him; for he careth for you.” ~ 1 Peter 5:7 ~

We’re in the dog days of summer…languid, slow, hot, sticky and it’s a burden to move. I’ve needed to buy/pick up hay for three weeks and keep putting it off while feeling dreadful because those men are putting up hay in this heat. Dave’s voice is in my ear…”But you’re not acclimated to this heat; you’ve spent almost a quarter century in your beloved Appy Mtns and the cold is where you’re most at home. Do what you can, when you can but you’re of no use to anyone if you get heat exhaustion or worse. You’re the most expensive piece of equipment on the farm; treat yourself gently.”

What are your burdens? Everyone has them, some more than others. Some share their burdens, others are like Balaam’s donkey, suffering in silence until the last straw breaks then God gives voice to the ass. The prayer list is long: friends need jobs, relief from poor health and pain, broken marriages, rebellious children, a vehicle needs replacing, a house needs repair, fences need shoring up, some need salvation, others need to forgive and accept forgiveness… The list is, seemingly, endless.

Some have “Jesus with skin on” in their lives, others do not and their burden is heavier. Jesus knows betrayal, to have friends turn their backs, to be hungry, thirsty, lonely, homeless, even to be without God.  Jesus paid it all, cast your cares upon Him and look for those moments that say He knows, He cares, He loves you (such a moment was mine when I found this song and so many of the visuals were places I visited in May). If you want to be added to my prayer list, send me a note.