“Heaviness is not of My kingdom.”
by Young, Sarah (2004-10-12). Jesus Calling: Seeking Peace in His Presence (p. 9). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
I read these words today and thought about how much heaviness I allow in my life. Raising children is hard, teenagers even harder, releasing them into the world, trusting in the One who has given them to you for a time. Even harder.
Life has been on superdrive for our family lately. Activities and holiday trips, weddings, travel – it has all added up to be busy. Good busy but busy nonetheless. It’s been wonderful to see family and to celebrate a wedding in our midst. I was honored and privileged to shoot my niece’s wedding. It was an exciting day for me, as a photographer, and for her, as a new bride. She was beautiful. Light-hearted, in love, and kingdom-minded.
Jesse, the pastor who married them, has known my new nephew-in-law for many years. It was an honor to watch him tear up as they read the vows they had written to one another. I clicked away through tears, capturing moments that will last forever!
Heaviness.
When does it enter our lives? I believe it’s when I allow all that I’m dealing with to fall upon my shoulders and not the Lord’s. I take up my mighty sack of stressors, problems and “big deals” and I tote them around wondering what to do about them all. I pull one out every now and then and show it to someone. We discuss it. God shines. Yes, I seek God’s wisdom in most of the issues, but do I lay them down at his feet and turn around and walk away, trusting Him to guide my mind, my path, my child?
Heaviness.
Weight.
Unhealthiness.
Depression.
Each of these words come to mind as I dwell on the word Heaviness..
“Heaviness is not of my kingdom.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ROMANS 15:13
Somehow overflow and heaviness don’t fit together well.
I wish to choose the overflow, not the heaviness. Will you join me?
Lightheartedness
Oh, I want to be able to do this. But I tend to be a weightlifter and try to carry all of my burdens alone. Thanks for the reminder.
I carry a lot of extra heaviness in my life with my family and my job. My Mother in Law just got baptised and all this time I
thought she had done this already. I did not go because of the heaviness of dislike that I have for her. She is the kind of woman that you can forgive but you can never let your guard down. Depression is also a daily deal with me. Since I have a lot of heaviness with her and other things I let the depression tear me apart. The only thing that I can do is live one day at a time and keep looking up for answers.