Burden Lessons

The other day I was having a conversation with a small group people and one of  them started talking about a friend of theirs that had a mentally challenged child. They went on to say how sad it was that the parents had been burdened with this child all these years, she was in her 20’s. As I listened I thought how interesting that we tend to look at the burdens of others and then compare them to our life. “At least all we have to deal with is ________” (fill in the burden of your life). We all do this to make our lives seem more comfortable and easy.

Comparison is a tricky thing though, because reality is, our burdens are our burdens to carry, bearing whatever pain and sufferings that go along with it. What caught me off guard was that as they were talking I began thinking “Wait, what about the joys, wisdom and depth that having this child might have brought into their lives?” For some reason we discount the growth and delight that might be born out of a difficult situation. Aren’t there always joys tucked in with the sorrow?  It truly is a shift in our thinking when we start to see that within the burden there are gifts, joys and unexpected surprises.

Instead of comparing our burdens to others what if we focus on what God has to teach us through our own challenges and then help others to find their gifts within their challenges too?

“The moment you accept what troubles you’ve been given, the door opens.” Rumi

(Step through and see what lessons, wisdom and gifts God has in store for you!)