The Importance of Being There
I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.—2 John 1:12 (NIV)
Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God—soon I’ll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He’s my God.—PSALM 43:5 MSG
One evening a man found himself staggering alone under a burden heavy enough to crush a half-dozen strong men. Out of sheer exhaustion he put down his entire load and took a good look at it. He found that it was all borrowed: Part of it belonged to the following day; part of it belonged to the following week. Yet it was crushing him now.
Sound familiar? We as caregivers often find ourselves carrying a load of responsibility, worry, and grief. Ignored, the burden soon grows too heavy to bear, robbing us of the joy in serving our loved ones.
Take a good look at your burden. Is it borrowed from tomorrow, next week, or even further down the road? Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NIV).
Fix your eyes on God, the great burden-bearer. Roll all the care, the worry, the responsibility, and the grief on Him. Allow Him to manage every detail of caregiving. He wants to put praise in your heart and a smile on your face.
Father, give me the wisdom not to borrow trouble from the future. When I trust You to help me bear only today’s problems, the load lifts and the praise begins.
I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.—2 John 1:12 (NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.—2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NIV)
The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.—Proverbs 19:8 (NIV)