Burdens

Just about everyone I have encountered lately has been weighed down by life's burdens. Financial, health, relationship, work, school, and other stresses interrupt thought processes and impede progress. The holiday season only seems to amplify all that we need to do as well as what is lacking in our lives. 

What if we took stock of our worries, our stresses, our burdens...our plans for our lives that don't seem to be working out and then did something about them?  Often our perception of what we feel we should be doing doesn't match up with what is healthy for us, or with what God wants for us. We live in a culture of doing, of busy, of accomplishing, of making progress for progress' sake. Often we take on too much, inflicting on ourselves much of the stress in our lives.

Advent is a wonderful time to lay down our burdens and have faith that God will help us through - to take a look at the busy-ness in our lives and weed out what isn't serving us, our family, or our faith well. If we didn't have so much to do, perhaps we'd have better health, less financial stress, healthier relationships, and free up adequate energy for school or work and the other things we need to do in life. 

God, please help us to slow down, to realize what is truly important in our lives, and to let go of the rest. Inspire us to ease our burdens in a positive, productive way.  Be with us as we nurture our relationships with others and help us to also nurture ourselves. Thank you for opportunities to joyfully help lighten others' loads.