load

Most people love the weekend to get a break from work. Unfortunately there are weekends when I'm looking forward to Monday just to work an 8-hour day rather than 12-15 hours. However, work or not, I truly love Sundays. I could have slept in today. I really did not have to be to work until 11:30 or 12 for a basketball doubleheader this afternoon. I was up until after 1 am and could have used the extra sleep. After this past week I definitely could have used some extra sleep and a morning "off". I'm not sure how to explain it, but in my life, a morning at church is better than sleeping in. Next Sunday I don't even have to work so I can easily go back and take nap but there's just something about going to church and letting go of the struggles from the previous week and embracing what God has to offer in the coming week.

This morning the focus was on Matthew 11:28-30. One of my favorites I've always heard it from the New International Version but I'm also a big fan of the Message for this one...

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

I went to church this morning seeking real rest beyond whatever sleeping in could give me. Dr. Michael Cogdill is the interim pastor at Snyder and laid out some ways to handle a heavy load... or overload. He said sometimes people resort to whining but instead we could 1) get rid of some of it... easy enough? Physically give up some of your responsibilities (no he doesn't mean get rid of your kids, spouse or parents). 2) break it up... Dr. Cogdill referenced tackling house projects. It can be overwhelming to look at a long to do list, but focusing on one room at a time makes it more bearable. 3) share it... We should all have someone in our lives to share our load with... or more importantly Jesus said come share it with me.

It all sounds simple enough but sometimes the hardest part is making it real... applying it to our lives. Letting go of the load...