All things have been
delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor
does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the
Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke
upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy
and My burden is light...- Jesus, Matthew 11:27-30
Cindy and I had a moment with
some of the most hearthurt (my new word) people in the world. They've been cast
out by society. Some of it their direct fault but much of it not at all. They
weren't alone. It was just the immensity of having so many tossed off,
impoverished, despised, ignored, beaten down...it really spoke to me
about...well, me.
What I came to, in part, was
this, if you are an adult, in this, the 21st Century, you understand stress and
hearthurt; emotional pain that won't just go away.
If you are an adult and/or have
a job and/or have a family, get out of bed, own motorized vehicles, children,
pets, etc., if any of that is you, on a weekly basis you face life's unplanned
hassles and headaches. They may be as controlled as making daily preparation
for our kids and spouse that requires we rise before 6:30 in the morning
(controlled?) or as severe as a smashing into a rival soccer mom; your minivan
into her SUV.
It may be a runaway daughter, on
the streets, selling her body and deep into drugs.
The size of the strain makes
little difference. The result is "trauma." And, all of this explains
the ongoing popularity of Valium!
When I think of trauma or
heartache and hurt I think of Joe Bayly. The late Christian writer understood
trauma. He and his wife lost three of their children: one at eighteen days
(after surgery); another at five years (leukemia); a third at eighteen years
(sledding accident plus hemophilia). In my wildest and most fearful
imagination, I cannot fathom the depth of their loss. In the aftermath of each
and then the combination of all of this tragedy, Joe and his wife stood.
Sometimes they were strong, sometimes weak. They had to stand by as they
watched God place a period on the lives of their three of children. Can you imagine
being close friends or family of the Bayly's? Their anguish was not relieved
when well-meaning people offered shallow, simple answers amidst their grief.
H. L. Mencken wrote:
"There's always an easy solution to every human problem...neat, plausible,
and wrong." I think he had our stresses and pain in mind when those words
were penned.
Eyes that read these words might
very well be near tears. You are trying to cope without hope, and there's no
relief on the horizon. You're bleeding and you've run out of bandages. You have
moved from mild tension to advanced trauma or, compared perhaps to what you are
accustomed to, it seems that way.
Listen carefully! Jesus Christ
opens the gate, gently looks at you, and says: "Come to Me, all you who
labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. [I will ease and
relieve and refresh your souls]" - Matthew 11:28, Amplified).
Nothing complicated. No big
fanfare, no trip to Mecca, no hypnotic trance, no strategy to get
"better" first, no fee, no special password or unique understanding
of some enigmatic doctrine. Jesus says, "just come."
What does He mean? Unload on
Him. Unhook the HUGE backpack and drop it in His lap. NOW!
Does He, the God of the
Universe, know what major heart and head hurt is all about? Can He handle
yours? Remember, He's the One whose sweat became like drops of blood in the
agony of the Garden of Gethsemane. Further, remember He went through that so He
could handle yours. It's a mystery but it is a truth. If anybody understands
hearthurt, Jesus does.
He understands your
stress...pain...heartache...trauma...Completely.
He's a Master at turning
devastation into restoration. His provision is profound, attainable, and right.
Allow Him to take your stress
as you take His rest.
I remain...
InHISGrip,
~J~
~J~
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