Carrying Burdens

 

The hardest part of this ‘job’ is not being a mom in Honduras, it is not tolerating the discomforts of a third-world environment, it is not whatever else might come to your mind when you think of missionaries.   The hardest part of my job is seeing the burdens, feeling the burdens of people around me and knowing that, most of the time, my job is to sit and listen and do very little.   

 

Most people we know here have serious burdens weighing them down.  While I see so much hope in almost everyone we meet, that hope is often shadowed dark by the circumstances of life.   Recently, I’ve seen dreams almost shattered by attempted rape.  I’ve seen a desperate search to find a safe place to live by one who literally has nothing.   I’ve seen abuse of power and illegality cause hardship and pain to a young girl.   I’ve seen the dangerous impact one family member’s job choice of narcotrafficking has on the the rest of the family.    

 

These are not strangers who carry these burdens;  these are people close to me.     As believers, we are to bear one another’s burdens when they become more than one can bear alone.   At what cost?   Does another person’s burden completely become my burden?  Does that problem supercede my other responsibilities?    Or, am I simply to help that person take her burden and carry it to God’s throne? 

 

I believe my job needs to be less about taking the burden as my own and more about pointing toward God’s sovereignty.   With such, I realize my own limitations, and I function only in the ‘next step’ and not with the entire burden of someone else on my back.   God can show me what He wants my part to be.  I must be carefully listening with correct motives…  not to save the world, but to offer Christ.

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.  

Comments

Robin said…
Great thoughts, and so very true here in La Mosquitia. It is very difficult at times to find a balance between trying to meet the needs of the people here, and pointing them to the God Who can meet their every need. My tendency is to want to meet their physical and emotional needs, but knowing that their spiritual needs are the greatest. To be able to teach them to trust and confide in the Lord, and watch HIM meet their needs, in ways that leave no doubt that it was His working, and not mans, is priceless. Bearing their burdens before the Lord, taking their problems to the throne-room, is a privilege and also a responsibility. One of my close friends in Mexico taught me something very simple, yet very profound. When someone comes to me with a need, the very first and most important thing that I can do, is to pray with them about that need, right then, right there, wherever we are, whatever is going on. Take it to the Lord. Asking Him to meet the need, and also to give me wisdom to know what He would have me do to help accomplish His will for them. I agree with you, sometimes, to see the many needs and burdens of the people here, it's overwhelming, there's no possible way that we can meet each need, carry each burden. But instead of being discouraged by our lack of ability to meet the need, it must make us more aware of sharing with them the hope that Christ gives, and the knowledge that only He can take the burdens from them, and truly give meet the needs they have.
Just my thoughts....

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