Jesus--Our Great Burden-Bearer

     I'm beginning this year very contemplative. The Lord has taught me so much in the past year about trusting Him, relying on him, and desiring Him more than anything or anyone. It's now been almost 3 1/2 years since Ty went "home" to heaven. Our kids (who are now adults) and their families were here for Christmas Eve morning. We had a blessed time. It was the best Christmas since Ty's death. The Lord has brought much healing to all of our hearts. I trusted Him moment by moment as I prepared for the time that we would have together as a family. Christmas has always been a hard time for me because of the expectations I put on  myself to make it perfect for everyone, to have all the right food, gifts, parties, decorations, etc.... It's always been a time where I never feel like I measure up to the "perfect Christmas experience" that I have created in my mind. It's also because I compare myself to others which I've talked about before here and which is something we should never do! Then after Ty died, I put even more pressure on myself to try to somehow make-up for his absence so that it wouldn't be so hard for my sons and their families. 
    Anyway, I'm so thankful for my Lord's patience and compassion. My son Yance's words to me early in the Christmas season helped me to change my focus. "Mom, do you really think that you're so important that you are capable of making Christmas perfect for everyone? That's not your responsibility." I realized that I was carrying way too much on my shoulders and that the Lord was wanting me to cast my cares on Him--to come to Him--weary and burdened and that He would give me rest. So...that's what I did--moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day all the way through December, and it was the best Christmas ever. 
   Decisions are always hard for me, but I chose to believe His promise to me in Psalm 73:23,24. "Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory." How personal and awesome is that?! All through the Christmas season I trusted Him to guide me, and I held tightly to His hand. He guided me and gave me much joy as I picked out gifts for my precious grandchildren and gifts for my sons and their wives that would help them remember Ty. 
   A couple other verses that helped me through this time were Psalm 121:1-2 "I lift up my eyes to the hills--where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." These verses which are part of the song, "Praise You in the Storm" were such an encouragement to Ty and I during Ty's cancer. He was our help then and was my help now as I journeyed through December--on the 19th which would have been Ty and my 31st wedding anniversary as well as December 24th which would have been Ty's 55th birthday. 

"Holy Father, my precious Savior, You are so faithful." Your faithfulness was our focus on Christmas Eve as we as a family remembered Ty on his birthday and celebrated the years that we were blessed with his presence and all that we learned from him. We also celebrated your birth, Jesus and the hope that we have in You--that You were willing to come to the earth to live and die for our sins so that we could have a personal, intimate relationship with You. 

Much healing has taken place since October 17, 2009 when Ty went home to be with his Savior, Jesus Christ. We all still miss him so much, but this Christmas was truly a time of celebration--celebrating new beginnings and new memories as we focus on our Lord's plans for our future. Watching Preston, James, and Clara open their gifts and play together was one of those precious new memories. Grandchildren are such a blessing!!!
   Now that Christmas is over and we start a new year, I trust that it will be one of building many happy memories with your family and friends. I want to encourage you in this new year to cast all your burdens on Jesus because He cares for you. Speaking from experience--He is the great burden-bearer. Find hope in these verses from Psalm 145:13b-14. "The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down." The life application commentary for these verses as well as for other verses from this Psalm sum up so well all that the Lord has done for me over and over again and continues to do as I depend on Him minute by minute and trust in Him with ALL MY HEART:

"Sometimes our burdens seem more that we can bear, and we wonder how we can go on. David stands at this bleak intersection of life's road and points toward the Lord, the great burden-bearer. God is able to lift us up because (1) His greatness is unfathomable (145:3); (2) He does mighty acts across many generations (145:4); (3) He is full of glorious splendor and majesty (145:5); (4) He does wonderful and awesome works (145:5,6); (5) He is righteous (145:7); (6) He is gracious, compassionate, patient and loving (145:8,9); (7) He rules over an everlasting Kingdom (145:13); (8) He is our source of all our daily needs (145:15,16); (9) He is righteous and loving in all His dealings (145:17); (10) He remains near to those who call on Him (145:18); (11) He hears our cries and saves us(145:19,20). If you are bending under a burden and feel that you are about to fail, turn to God for help. He is ready to lift you up and bear your burdens."

    How's that for a Psalm of amazing promises to claim in this new year? I'm so thankful that in this uncertain, fearful world that we have a faithful God who promises to never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) I also was reminded of this verse in the new year; 2 Chronicles 16:9 says: "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." As Chuck Bentley said in the devotional book "God Is Faithful": 

"May this be the year that you become completely faithful in complete commitment to our Faithful God." 

   The words of the following song, "The Hurt and the Healer" have been so true in my life. The Lord truly has breathed my heart back to life even though a part of me has died.That has happened  as I have kept my eyes completely fixed on Him. As the song also says, "fall into his open arms". That's what I have done and continue to do. I pray that each of you will do that on the easy days and on the hard days. Our Lord longs to meet our every need!!!