Life is busy. I do not have to tell you that! Practically every single person I know has the same lament - "I am too busy!" I have too much going on!" Even in the summertime when we could be relaxing and taking a break, we find ourselves busy trying to get "it" all in. What is "it" anyway?
Today I find myself at home, alone, Cool! This is going to be such a nice relaxing day. I decide to start off with a little exercise, get the blood pumping and the steps for the day in, so I hook up the dogs to go for a nice long walk through our lovely quiet neighborhood. Of course, Daisy pooped. Yes, I always have poop bags with me. The poop bags I recently bought and tied to the leash, however, were defective. (Exasperated sigh goes here!) They were not sealed on the sides or the end. Just really cute sheets of plastic and not very helpful. So, after our walk, I had to go back and pick up the poop with a real bag. My conscience won't let me just leave it there. Moving on. When I got home, I sat on the side of the tub to take my shoes off and slipped off the side of the tub landing on my tailbone, ouch!! How did I even do that? Next on the agenda, making dinner for some dear friends. I thought I had everything I needed. Nope. So I hop in the car to go get sour cream and flour tortillas only to find when I got home that I already had both. (Seriously???) Why didn't I double check in the garage frig? I need a drink! No, not that kind of drink...a drink of water...I need a drink of water! So I grab the bottle off the counter and looking forward to being refreshed, I gingerly place the water bottle to my lips and tilt it awaiting the cool refreshment and... low and behold, I haven't taken the top off the bottle. Duh!!!
When goofy things like this start happening to me, I know I am very near the brink of something...like maybe I am about to self-destruct. More than likely, my brain is on overwhelm. Sometimes it is trying to sort things out and is just distracted. At any rate, I have too much processing going on in my brain and it just keep going and going and going, thinking and thinking and thinking and this wreaks havoc. Unlike the Energizer Bunny, however, my batteries do run out. I don't like it, but it's true. Do your batteries run out, too?
There is hope for those of us that get overwhelmed, tired and confused at times and our batteries begin running out. His name is Jesus. So today, in the remainder of my home alone time, not to be confused with the movie of the same name, I pull out my Bible and land in Matthew, Chapter 11.
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11: 28-30
The yoke of Jesus here is meant as a spiritual aid. When we are in overwhelm mode, it is our very spirit, our soul, that is tired or distracted or confused and working overtime. The function of a yoke was to couple the oxen to do the farmers work - the oxen working in tandem, side by side - together with the farmer. Taking on the yoke of Jesus couples us with Him to do the work He has for us - whatever and wherever it is. If we work, think and play or even spend time home alone in this way, the Bible promises whatever we do will be made easier and lighter.
Overwhelmed? Tired? Confused? Head out to the barn and talk to Farmer Jesus.
