Whatever You’re Facing
pamela spurling
Whatever’s going on with you is big. You know
it’s big… it consumes your thinking, your time
and your energy. It might not seem big to
someone else and were you to compare it to the
plight of another, you might discount it—though,
in reality, it still is, or it’s still going to
be, a big thing for you. You may have no washer
and the laundry mountain is overwhelming to
you. You may have many debts and little income…
you may have a bed-wetter or a child who won’t
obey. Troubles. Trials. But compared to
someone else’s trials, you might feel
embarrassed that you consider your struggles to
be trials. You might think that no one else
could possibly understand the anguish you feel
as you cannot “get it all done” each week, or
the ache of your muscles at the end of the day
or the headaches you experience as you have no
one to help you as you care for your home and
children, mop your floor, switch the laundry
loads and fold the clothes and on and on.
We have a friend who is separated from her
husband, another’s has left her. We have a
friend who is praying for his wife to return and
another’s is praying his won’t. We have a
friend who has family trouble; none seem to seek
to work out the differences and so there is
anguish. Another is getting off prescription
drugs. Still another is attempting to mediate a
reconciliation between her daughter and friends.
Another prays earnestly for the LORD’s blessing
of a child… year after year, no conception.
Another is having trouble with her husband with
a devastating addiction. Another faces
financial difficulties and cannot make ends
meet. Each feels like her problem is
insurmountable and has no good solution or
ending. Each feels like the weight of the world
is on her shoulders and because of the
situations at hand, there’s really nothing else
that takes precedence over the trials. And they
often feel like no one else has a more
burdensome plight. And then they hear of a
tragedy or problem another sister faces and they
see they’re not alone. No one’s alone. Not
really. Every burden is a trial. There is no
one who could honestly say their burden is
greater than the burden another carries.
Really, no one can. But it feels like it. It
feels like it to those who are carrying burdens
too heavy to be borne. They feel as though they
stand alone – endure alone. But they’re not
alone. That’s one of the tremendous reasons and
unfathomable blessings of the cross of Christ.
Jesus said in Matthew 11.28-30
Come
unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
We have a friend who is slowly deteriorating–
slowly dying. He knows Jesus… knows the rest
found in trusting in Jesus, but is human and
faces the struggles and the dilemma of
helplessness and total dependency. And you
know, when others hear of his plight and of his
family, they immediately dismiss their own
ordeal or trials and think them trivial and are
embarrassed to even mention any struggle because
of the comparative insignificance. But you
know, they’re not insignificant and they’re not
unimportant. They
are
important and so is every burden you bear and
every trial you face. I know, compared to a
life and death scenario, your laundry problems
or your home schooling or child discipline
struggles may seem to pale in comparison, and in
the scheme of things, the struggles will likely
pass and in a few years will be forgotten. But
it’s all still big---it’s all still a trial, a
drudgery or a struggle. Even the dying person
had “insignificant” struggles from time to time
and readily admits to it.
Quite a number of years ago, I was commenting
about a trouble I was trying to cope with and I
happened to notice I was in the company of a mom
whose daughter was enduring a fatal condition
and faced daily struggles to simply breathe.
She responded with empathy when I said I had
nothing to complain or fret over considering the
life and death matters she and her daughter face
and daily contended with. And she told me
whatever any woman is facing at the time is big
– to her at the time… and that whatever I was
facing was big… for me. And she assured me that
it was all okay, that no one was keeping score.
I’ve never forgotten that bit of advice. So
whatever you’re facing – regardless what others
do or do not have to deal with – it’s big, it
matters. It matters to you.
Consider that you might hold in your arms the
precious newborn, the child for whom you’ve
prayed and laboured. And consider at the very
same time, somewhere nearby, a woman cradles the
head of her dying husband. Both women face
entirely different situations, both are big –
one is no more or less significant than the
other, and at the same time, both are
emotionally utterly and completely devoted to
the circumstance they face.
So, today, dear sister, wherever you go and
whatever you do, whatever you face is important
and significant and cannot be compared to the
plight or the delight of another. Because
whatever is going on with you is big. And even
if you feel alone, you’re not alone… someone
understands.
And you know… He loves you so much He stretched
out His arms on the cross…
He loves you so much, He’s ready and waiting to
talk to you about those things that concern
you. Whatever you face… yes, it is big… but
remember: nothing’s too hard for the LORD.
Thank you for allowing me to visit you each
week. God bless you, your family and your home.
With sincere love,
©A Christian Home ~
Letters To My Sisters ~ 2007 |