Lord, give me the grace to carry the burden.

Life is FULL of challenges. They come in all shapes and sizes, just like people. Everyone carries a different mixed bag of burdens. They could be physical like an illness, job related like stress, a layoff, or needing two jobs to make the ends meet, relational like conflicts with family or friends. Whatever it is, you were not meant to carry it alone.

It’s not a surprise that people want to be “self sufficient” and do it on their own. There is absolutely a time and place for that. One example is children learning to navigate the world and being more independent. Recently, I was making pancakes with my godson. After one flipped onto the counter and another slid down the wall to the floor, I asked “do you want some help?”. He’s a trooper and cleaned everything up, I showed him how to flip pancakes without sending them flying, and dinner was served!

When we get older, as we go out into the world, our challenges change. We lose relationships, people, jobs, money, and sometimes our sense of self in the midst of it all. How can we navigate that alone? The simple answer is we can’t. We need all the support we can get.

When we share the burden, it gets a little lighter. That doesn’t mean that it disappears, but it becomes easier to walk through because we are no longer walking alone. Letting people in is difficult, we don’t think people will understand, and will somehow think less of us if we share our pain. It’s the exact opposite- by allowing someone to see the challenge, the pain, and the brokenness, we allow healing into our lives.

I think of two beautiful students of mine who took their lives. It was a surprise, a shock to all. No one knew what they were going through. We can’t know what others are going through, but we can meet them in that place, wherever it is. We can listen. We can show up. We can be there. It doesn’t take away the burden, but it may make them feel less alone.

While I faced some challenges the past few years, I did share it all with God, quite frequently, but I did not share with all my circles all that was happening. I missed out on the grace and the understanding that comes with sharing my struggles. They would not have been fixed, but a part of me might have been.

It’s our weakness that makes us strong. The burdens that we carry are what makes us strong. What makes us more resilient is having the grace to share with others and ask for help when we need it. From our heavenly Father to our earthly friends and family- you can always ‘phone a friend’.

Lord, give me the grace this week to be present with others in whatever situation they are in. Help me to listen and to show up for them how they they need. Allow me the grace to receive that as well.