December 12

The Heaviest Burdens

Jesus took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.  Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”  ––Matthew 26:37-39

I admit it. I’m a card-carrying Tolkien geek. I’ve watched every iteration of the three Lord of the Rings films, as well as the three Hobbit films. That includes all six director’s cuts—which adds up to a whopping 20 hours and 15 minutes wandering Middle Earth eating lembas bread and dreaming of rabbit stew with po-tay-toes. (And yes, I am of the opinion that Peter Jackson could have covered the Hobbit in two movies, instead of three. As Bilbo would say, it felt like butter scraped over too much bread.)

So it’s no surprise that I’ve been watching The Rings of Power (at the time of this writing, season 2 has dropped and we Tolkienites are highly anticipating the drop of seasons 3-5). Without giving anything away, I will just say that there are powerful spiritual themes in the show. There’s a moment in the first episode of season 2 when the mysterious stranger (the man who fell from the sky) tells Nori, a harfoot (distant relatives of hobbits), some words of wisdom about her homesickness:

“Strange how that which is left behind can be the heaviest burden to carry.”

This hit true with me. In the past few years, Chrissy and I have lost three family members unexpectedly—two to suicide and more recently, one to a tragic accident. And despite our deep comfort in knowing that they are all now with Jesus, the burden of grief continues. It’s funny how we (Americans) are kind of expected to “get back to normal” within a few weeks or months after someone close to us dies. But grief doesn’t work that way. It has its own timetable, and it affects everyone differently.

Man of God, what burden or grief are you carrying today from your past? The death of a family member? Of a marriage? A friendship? Your financial foundation? Your health? A prodigal child?

What have you left behind that continues to be a burden to carry? A career path that never materialized? An addiction for which you are still suffering the consequences? Jesus knows; He walks beside you today. Give him access to your grief or burden and let Him lighten your load.

Father, help me lay down at Your feet the burdens I still carry from my past.