A Burden Shared . . . is better!

“Carry each other’s burdens.” Galatians 6:2 NIV

My daughter’s friend was in a desperate situation. She had a choice to make and both options would dramatically affect her present and her future. While my heart broke over the friend’s circumstances, I was equally concerned for my daughter’s state of mind and health as she walked with her friend through this dark valley. Even over the phone, stress was evident in her voice as she could barely put a sentence together when telling me this unfortunate story. Further, she admitted that the strain was dulling her appetite and keeping her awake at night. On top of this, she had to keep up with her college assignments and part-time work. After giving her some motherly advice, I promised to pray for her and her friend.

My daughter knows I pray about everything, so, even though she may not be praying, she is glad I am. Although I prayed for two days about this situation and its outcome, I still felt a nagging anxiety. But wait! Praying is supposed to replace worry with peace. Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” I have done this before and experienced God’s peace, but it was not “working” this time. What more did God want me to do? Then I remembered advice the Apostle Paul gave to the Galatians, “Carry each other’s burdens.” The Greek word for ‘burden’ is baros, which means: a weight (eg. boulder) too big for us to carry alone. Yes, this burden was too heavy for me. I quickly emailed the members of my church Small Group and asked them to pray, too. (This is something we do for each other while keeping all issues confidential.) As soon as I clicked, “send”, I felt the burden of worry lift from my shoulders! Yes, this is why God wants us to be believers in community not believers in isolation. “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn”(Romans 12:15). Together, we draw nearer to God.

Despite our prayers in favour of one of the options, the friend chose the other. We who prayed were disappointed that God did not allow a different outcome, but consoled ourselves as the Lord says, “My thoughts are completely different from yours, and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine” (Isaiah 55:8). We were thankful that my daughter’s stress ended and she returned to her usual self. Even though God knows our every thought and situation, He does not always intervene on our decisions (Psalm 139).

Thank you, God, that you listen to my concerns and give me peace while I wait for the answers. It is in your peace that I acknowledge that, no matter what the circumstances, “your mighty power reaches throughout the world” (14:26). I pray that others will share their burdens, too, so that together we may see your mighty works and glorify your name. Amen.