I am home now from the hospital. I arrived two days ago, on my 25th anniversary, which made it a sweet homecoming indeed! I tried to work a little today, and managed to possibly bruise my ribs in a fall while trying to climb down from my boat. I'm definitely not the man I used to be, but it's hard to accept that enough to change my [attempted] lifestyle.
I've been thinking lately about some of the Hard Things- the Heavy Things- that God asks us to carry, or perhaps to walk though. My friend Kim lost her husband, my pastor, a couple of weeks ago, and her kids lost their father, right out of the blue! That was, and STILL is, a very hard thing.
Sometimes the hard things are physical. I Chronicles 15 tells the story of King David bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem from the house of Obed-Edom in Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem. Some versions refer to it as The Chest of the Testimony or the Chest of the Covenant. That's because the stone tablets with the 10 commandments were inside. According to Exodus 25:10-22, the chest was 3 3/4' long, 2 1/4', wide, and 2 1/4' tall. Ok, sure. But then we read it was overlaid with gold inside and out, and had solid gold angels- cherubim- on top, whose wings touched in the middle. Add in the stone tablets, and I'll bet that thing was HEAVY. Which was why David was trying to bring it on an oxcart in the first place. Because it was Heavy. And they had a long way to go. Jerusalem was 9 1/2 miles away, over not very good roads. So they put it on an oxcart. But when the oxen stumbled, the Chest started to slide and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Chest, and God struck him dead. He didn't respect God's holiness, as shown by God's requirements that only the priests were to touch the Chest of the Testimony, and then only by the carrying poles. It was a hard lesson.
Take Two: The Chest must still be moved, but this time they move it by hand, as required. There are four men listed as authorized to carry the Ark, (two at a time?) But how much did it weigh, and how often did they sub out? The fact that it WAS heavy can be inferred by God's direct intervention on behalf of the bearers. 1 Chronicles 15: 26 tells us:
Because God helped the Levites, strengthening them as they carried the Chest of the Covenant of GOD, they paused to worship by sacrificing seven bulls and seven rams.
Did you catch that? God PHYSICALLY strengthened the Levites carrying the Chest. Because they couldn't carry that burden the whole way otherwise. So maybe God has given you a burden that's too heavy for you? Maybe ask God to bring you someone to come along side you and sub out while you catch your breath?
Maybe you feel like you have it all together, or at least close enough. Life is pretty easy. How about ask God if there is someone in your life that needs help with their burdens? A single mom perhaps? A widow? Maybe a dad who has lost his wife and is totally out of his depth? Maybe a single woman who is stressed out of her mind over the half dozen balls she is trying to juggle? Or maybe an older person who is recovering from a long-term illness and is effectively shut in their home-- maybe they could use some company? Or a ride to the grocery store, or to the park? Maybe that person needs their lawn mown, dinner cooked, kitchen cleaned, or laundry done? (Or all of the above?) I have a single mom friend who commented that everyone wants to come hold the new baby, but what she really needs is the kitchen cleaned while she takes a nap...
You know, I saw a great meme that said, "We are not called to see through each other, but to see each other through." That little change in word order makes all the difference in the world. My challenge to you is this. Find someone who is struggling with their burden(s), and go over there. Pitch in and help. Pray for them, certainly! But PHYSICALLY help them.
See each other through.
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