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Day 9 Matthew 11:28-30

I am so tired.  I don't know about you, but my body has carried me through some long days and my heart has held some burdens tight for too long.

Sealed in the corner of my soul, fingers are closely locked together around worries and anger that have lingered long enough for them to feel comfortable in my grasp.  They live there in the dark, gaining weight as they sit lazily there with nowhere to go.  My grip is strong. 

As I become more exhausted, the ache that sticks around in the bottom of my neck makes itself remembered as my soul lets those weights creep in there.  I need to breathe.

I unfold my fists, one finger at a time, and inhale that familiar forced calm, exhaling my frustrations... yet they remain. 

Peace is hard to find when you hold onto too much in your heart.  Burdens suffocate your soul and leave you exhausted and ready to stay in bed all day.

Sometimes I literally open my hands when I'm at this point.  I sit still.  I breathe.  And I keep my palms face up.  And when I'm too tired to lift those burdens, I ask God to take them straight from my shoulders. 

My God is gracious and kind and loving.  Even on days when I'm not too sure.  He carries my anxiety and my sadness and my heartache and frustration and he gives me his burden in its place.  But it feels different. It's light.  It's easy to carry.  It brings warmth to my shoulders that relieve my soul. 

I trust my Father, if I'm honest, because He has proved that he is trustworthy.  He will never fail me and he will always provide.  His yoke is easy.  He comforts me when I am weary, and he calls me forward one step at a time. 

Open your hands.  Find rest in this moment, right now.  Be present.  Feel God's arms around you and find peace in the embrace.  Even in the chaos, I promise, his peace prevails.





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