And Then Came the Blood Clot...

So if you read my post the other day, you know that I have been challenged by my husband's broken toe. And if you read the earlier posts, you know that my stress level has been rather high. So you can imagine my delight when I found out last Friday that my husband developed a blood clot that is sitting behind his knee, ever threatening to move to his lungs.

You know that saying that God will not give us more than we can handle.

Yeah. I don't believe that.

I used to. And I used to use some version of that phrase when trying to comfort friends.

It might be my hopeful nature. Or the stoic in me that knows that bad things do happen to good people. Or bad theology just being repeated.

But the truth is that God gives me more than I can handle all the time.

And He does it on purpose.

He does it so that I am forced to ask for help from friends that may have expertise and knowledge of my issue even though I don't want to be a burden or a nuisance.

He does it so that I say yes when a friend offers to make me dinner to relieve some of my stress, even though I hate to appear needy.

He does it so I cannot stop the tears that flow sitting at lunch with my small group from church. Tears that remind me that I do not have it all together and that it is okay to be a little broken. It doesn't mean I am turning into my mother and becoming suicidal or depressed beyond measure.

He does so to bring me to my knees in prayer. Ready to beg for his help because I cannot do this parenting thing well without His help.

He gives me more than I can handle alone to remind me that I do not need to carry it all alone.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  

Matthew 11:28 - 30

And sometimes I do not know why I am carrying a load too heavy, a burden too much to bear, a pain all encompassing.

Too much to bear.

Alone.

It is never too much if we cling to God. If we take it to God.

It might still feel like more than we can handle.

But He's bigger than we can ever imagine.

Where do you need to let God carry some of your load?