A Burden's Prey

Recently I have felt heavily burdened with a ministry concern swelling through my mind and heart.  It is interesting how burdens seem to take on different characteristics for us.  I feel many burdens in ministry that are simply burdens of the mind.  They hold a place in my thoughts for processing and may even give me a headache as I think upon them.  They are often burdens requiring calculated thought, logic, and problem solving.  They may even be suitable for the old “pros and cons” assessment.

Sometimes there are burdens of the heart which seem to manifest themselves through emotion.  These are those burdens that may result in a tug of heartstrings, sympathy, empathy, compassion or heart-ache, and often all at the same time.

Then there are burdens that prey upon our whole being.  They fall under all possible categories of expression. Burdens that pressure the intellect as well as the heart in ways that are difficult to articulate.  My bones feel weakened, my body fatigued, my mind spinning in thought, my eyes burning in concentration, my heart breaking and my stomach in knots.

I feel just such a burden.

I was standing in the kitchen looking out the window and thinking that I was actually feeling that feeling of pressure upon my shoulders that people often speak of when describing turmoil.  It’s not that I haven’t felt that before, it just always amazes me how literally physical it feels.  I was standing there thinking it feels like a tremendous weight pressing down upon me.  I was thinking that I actually felt as though there were two hands - one on each shoulder - pressing upon my frame.  

As I stood there I finally decided to call in the troops, so to speak.  I thought for a moment and decided I needed to let someone else know that I needed prayer.  I know prayer works. I know prayer matters.  I know there are those who will pray for me in a moment, and they don’t even have to know the details, they’ll just do it.

I sent texts to four of these people.  My text was a generic, non-alarming text requesting prayers of wisdom.  Within minutes... nay, even seconds I began receiving replies of prayer affirmation, each with its own personal words reflecting four distinct prayer personalities in the texts.

I’m so thankful for such people in my life.  I must admit that I was quickly misty eyed to see the response texts back to back.  The burden is still there, but with the prayers of others, it is significantly more bearable.

I write this with no particular intention of conveying any universal truth to possible readers, but rather as a means to express myself - I’ve grown to understand that people identify more with our weaknesses than our strengths.  We Christians should always remember the importance of interceding on behalf of others and seeking such intercession when needed, which is really more often than not.

“For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.”  - Colossians 1:9-10