Burdens to Bear

Burdens to Bear

            I've mentioned before that I am very thankful for the friends I've made and having a community of support between them and my family. This has been extremely helpful in the ups and downs of life. We've lived through a lot individually and as a group. We have come together for each other in prayer and encouragement. We've followed the words of Galatians 6:2 pretty well; (Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ). I like to think that I've been a good friend, and I was available to pray or listen or whatever was needed at the time. I know that my friends are ready and willing to walk through things with me as well. Most the time though, I had a hard time opening up to my friends or my family. I tend to keep things to myself, no matter how hard it is for me to hold onto. Why?

 It's not like they aren't willing to listen to me. I think my hesitation can be pinpoint to two excuses that I make. The first is, they have their own problems. Life is difficult for everyone in the world. So I know my friends aren't excused from that, and I've heard of both the good and the bad things that have occurred. Whenever I hear these things, I certainly want to be there for them. If they want to talk through it, let's talk! If they want prayer, we can pray the whole night! While I'm doing this, in the back of my mind I may be thinking about my own issues. I won't bring them up though, because why add fuel to the fire? There's already so much going on between one or two people, so I really shouldn't add anything else. They need more support; I could honestly handle my things another time or on my own. These are the thoughts that I have, the excuses to keep me from sharing whatever is troubling me. I don't think it is really a problem that I'm mindful of what someone else is dealing with and how much they may be able to handle. However, I know that's not a reason to deny myself the same thing I'm offering to them. The way they want the encouragement and support of a friend, I know they would be more than willing to give the same to me.

            The second excuse I tell myself is that my problems aren't that important, or big enough to bother others with. There are a lot of problems with this way of thinking. For starters I'm belittling my own problems. Which is easy to do when you compare. What I'm going through seems bad to me, but when you look at the state of the world and what people are dealing with, am I really going to bother others with my insignificant issues? This excuse also seems to say that people are only going to care about what's going on in your life if it’s extremely traumatic or you just won the lottery. Again, if the community you have around you cares about you, they aren't judging your problems or comparing them to others. They are there for you and want to surround you with love.

I have a tendency to use these excuses in my relationship with God as well. I will avoid praying because I think my problems aren't that important and that I can deal with them on my own. This is more draining and stressful when I avoid sharing my burdens. I can't handle those things on my own, that's why I have considered sharing with my friends or praying for guidance. I hesitate to act on this because I've built up reasons to avoid it in my mind. Maybe I'm afraid to share my problems out loud because I would have to then confront them. In all honesty, there isn't anything to worry about. I serve a God who loves me and will work all things together for my good. I have friends and family that love me, will support me in the hard times and point me to the truth of God's word. I have a community to share in the good times and the bad. I am more than willing to help those that I love, and I should let them do the same for me.