We are currently reading short stories in English and we came upon one titled "The Things We Carry." In a nutshell, it is about the Vietnam War and the things soldiers carry; the items in their rucksack or the mental images of war. I would venture to say that we all have traumatic images that we have difficulty reconciling. Things that we have seen or done that we just can't seem to wrap our head around. We have ghosts that will always haunt us, and voices that will always wake us in the dead of sleep.
Regardless of whether you have been in the military, the medical field, a police officer, or a fireman, you probably have seen things that have caused you to lose sleep on more than one occasion. Or maybe, there was some traumatic event in your life that continues to haunt you that you can't seem to escape. Regardless of what it is you carry, we all have demons that haunt us. I would surmise that the things we carry on the inside supersede the weight of any we could carry on the outside. Unfortunately, we tend to wallow in these burdens instead of dealing with them. No matter how much trauma you have seen or pain and misery you have dealt with, it is better to talk about it rather than to hold it within. By holding it within, the devil uses it to fuel his quest of destruction. He uses it like blackmail to hold over our heads. Sometimes these traumas begin to suck the life out of us. Life as we know it becomes dismal and full of despair until we eventually end up in a full blown depression. This depression typically leads to drinking alcohol, popping pills, or shooting up to just to block the memory or numb the pain. We get to a point that even our own friends don't want to hang around us because they feel like our depression is "rubbing" off on them. They feel as though they are becoming just as jaded about life as we are. At the same time, they don't know how to help us, so out of sight, is out of mind.
Undoubtedly, it takes most of us hitting rock bottom in order to finally find the rest we seek. That rest can come in several forms. The first being death because we have given up on life and can't bear the pain any longer, so we end our pain. The other CHOICE will be to finally recognize that there is someone who loves and cares about us. Someone who will be there no matter what. Someone who will never give up on us like our friends will. Someone who will not constantly throw our demons in our face like the devil will. But someone who will comfort us, ease our pain, ease our guilt, forgive our sin, and give us shelter when we are tired. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 NIV.
No matter the demons we have or the burdens we carry, He can make them lighter if we call upon Him. There is NOTHING that can't be forgiven if asked. We may not find forgiveness from man, but we will always find forgiveness and solace in God. Over time, I have come to the realization that my burdens are too heavy to carry alone, and have asked God to lighten my load. Will you join me and ask Him to carry the weight for You as well?
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