Let it be

Finding rest 

Matthew 11:28-30  Common English Bible (CEB)

28 “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. 29 Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. 30 My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.”

When I read this passage today I thought, “Well, that’s pretty much everybody.  A rest would be very nice right now.”  This last month or so has been hard on all of us.  Just giving up hugs is hard. Staying home except for essential business is hard.  Working from home is hard.  And I can’t even imagine how hard home schooling and trying to keep active children occupied must be. Maybe we are managing not to focus on the situation too much through keeping to a routine or staying really busy.  Most of us are struggling with this reality we find ourselves in.   

It is that struggle that makes our burden so heavy right now.  One of the most difficult things for humans to do even under normal circumstances is to accept unpleasant realities.  We want to fight against situations and feelings we don’t like or don’t want to have to deal with. We really dislike feeling helpless and as if we are not in control of our own lives.  For this reason we have seen people on the news protesting angrily against the shelter in place orders.  Cooler heads are urging them to accept the situation as it is until it is safe to do some of the things that we are used to doing once again.  

Let go and let God. 

Let go. Easy to say.  Harder to accomplish.  It is good to remember that letting go doesn’t mean forgetting about the situation altogether.  It means giving up on the idea that you can somehow affect the outcome of a situation over which you have no control.  

Let God.  Well illustrated by Jesus’ example here.  Just as 2 oxen yoked together can more easily pull a load that is too heavy for one alone, Jesus asks us move aside from our solitary burden and allow him to share our load.  It is not that the situation will go away or cease to matter, but that with Jesus at our side it is easier to practice acceptance that we are not responsible for the entire burden, only for our own part in it.  With Jesus at our side, we can let go of fears and worries, knowing that no matter what happens, all will be well.   With Jesus at our side, our spirit can find rest even in the midst of chaos.  

There are so many things that our completely out of our control right now.  How will you practice acceptance today?