Jesus; the One who carries our burdens

Yesterday I was working in the church garden in the city centre. At the front of the church the garden is divided into two and slopes down to the pavement. As I began weeding, I found it very difficult on the slope, as my arthritic hip is restricting my mobility and my fingers were painful and couldn`t grip and pull the weeds due to a recent fall. I felt like an old woman and pretty useless. Nevertheless, I continued with what I was doing and spent a couple of hours tidying and trying to make the garden looked after and cared for.

As I finished off what I was doing, I was tired and feeling pretty lonely and struggling. I carried the heavy trug to the waste bin and tried to lift it to empty the contents. I couldn’t quite reach and spilled some of the weeds on to the floor. I put the trug down and picked up the weeds. Just as I bent down to try again to lift the trug, a kind-looking man appeared, picked up the trug and emptied it easily into the bin. He looked at me and said, “You take care of yourself”.

I was relieved, thankful and tearful. I realised that someone had noticed my difficulties and cared enough to help. This is exactly how God our Father works. He sees us. He cares and He comes to our rescue. He wants us to ‘take care of ourselves’ by coming to Him. I wanted the garden to look beautiful and cared for. He wants to look after us and to care for us so that we too are a testimony to His goodness.

Sometimes we need to ask for His help. And other times, like yesterday, when there seems to be no-one to help, He sends someone because He sees us in our struggle, and He cares. Sometimes we are too proud to ask when there are willing folk around who would help if asked.

The burdens we carry may not be physical but spiritual or emotional. Jesus gave us the invitation to come to Him to find rest, and to be relieved of our heavy burdens, for His promise is that His burden is light and easy to be borne.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, please forgive me when I am too proud to ask for help. Help me to recognise that I am not alone in my struggles, but that You are with me. Thank You that You see me and will ease my burdens. Thank You that You provide others to help when I need them. Amen.