Do you?

Do you miss your burdens ?

Fear. Anxiety. Family hardships. Financial difficulties. Depression. Grief. All. The. Things.

God’s Word tells us that He will bear all of that and MORE! Everything that weighs us down. His Truth says we can come to Him when we are weary, that we take His yoke upon us.

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

I don’t know about ya’ll, but I read that and I’m all about it!

He will give us rest ✅

He will teach us ✅

Rest for my soul ✅

His yoke is easy ✅

His burden is LIGHT – ✅

Yet… in my controlling, human, weak self, what do I do? I turn around and pick those burdens right back up! Ughhh. Like, do I really miss that heaviness? Nowhere does He say I will give you rest like a “nap” – for a little while, or bear your burdens “partially”.

“Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” Psalm 55:22

God knows that we allow some of those heavy burdens to literally weigh us down so much we can’t even look up. That’s not what He wants for you my friend – for any of us. Our Father tells us to cast our cares on HIM. To lay them down at the foot of the cross and WALK AWAY. Seek, pray, find the hem of His garment ya’ll- and FIND REST FOR YOUR SOUL. He will SUSTAIN you. ❤️❤️

The mess

He takes our mess and turns it into a message

Jesus never avoided the mess. He didn’t flinch at the dirt, the shame, or the failures of others. He sat with sinners, but He didn’t become one. His holiness wasn’t threatened by their brokenness; it was the hope they needed most.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” – Luke 19:10 (NIV)

That’s the gospel. Jesus sat with the broken not to blend in, but to bring healing and truth. He didn’t run from sinners. He ran to them. Jesus did this knowing full well that the table was a place of transformation, not compromise.

We’re called to that same courage. To sit in places that are uncomfortable. To love people without conditions. To be present in the lives of those who are hurting without losing the holiness that makes us shine.

Jesus didn’t avoid broken people. He moved toward them. He didn’t come to approve of their sin, but to redeem them from it. He didn’t become like them in their sin; instead, He showed them what it meant to live in grace.

This message echoes in the music of Jelly Roll, a man whose raw lyrics often paint a picture of a life touched by pain, struggle, and redemption. In his song “Save Me,” he cries out:

“Somebody save me, me from myself
I’ve spent so long living in Hell…”

Jelly Roll doesn’t hide his scars, and neither does Jesus. In fact, Jesus’ scars are the reason ours can heal. Life can leave us feeling far from God, stained by choices we regret. But here’s the good news: Jesus isn’t afraid of our mess. He doesn’t require us to be clean before we come to Him – He just asks that we come.

And this is where, in the midst of our struggles and imperfections, He turns our mess into our message. Jesus transforms our perceived failures into testimonies and creates opportunities for us to share God’s grace with others.

May we strive to be more like Jesus – not becoming part of sin, but stepping into people’s pain with compassion and truth. Let’s also be honest about our brokenness and hopeful in God’s ability to redeem it.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

Embrace

A few weeks ago, my junior class was doing their final class discussion over a variety of texts. In order to pass, each student had to ask and answer two questions. The topics and themes ranged from forgiveness to fear.
As one class struggled to get started, I reminded them that silence was okay. I encouraged them to sit in the awkwardness and discomfort. I summed it all up with one statement: “Embrace the pause.”
Holy Spirit convicted me right there in my classroom. Loudly. Clearly. Gently, but directly.
Here I was teaching my students to wait, pause, breathe, and think before they speak while I’m the “Queen of Now.”
I know what I want, and I want it now. I know the questions I have, and I want them answered. I know the prayers I have, and I want them delivered. I know the guidance I need, and I want it now.
But He is asking me to embrace the wait.
To enjoy the waiting season.
To sit in the slow down.
To rest in the not yet.
To be present in the pause.
Maybe you are waiting for something to change. Maybe you need answers to lingering life questions. Maybe you need direction for your next chapter. Maybe you need an answered prayer. Maybe you just feel like you’re in slow motion or sitting in silence.
Embrace the pause.
One student left a note on my desk after our discussion. She wrote, “Thank you for making me be uncomfortable. It sucked, and it was hard. I can’t wait to do it again.”
She saw the value of the pause.
She learned new limits.
She made hard moves.
She faced fears.
She grew.
As I have reflected on that moment,
I’m comforted by His truth:
-He IS God.
He knows. He sees.
He controls. And He is good.
-He is with us.
He is present in the pause.
He is walking us through the wait.
-He isn’t finished.
He completes what He starts.
He gives us a hope and future.
So, I embrace this pause as I wait for my family to grow, prayers to be answered, and His plans to unfold.
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.
Psalm 130:5

Seek him

I love the song ‘The More I Seek You’ by Kari Jobe.

The opening lyrics say, “The more I seek you, the more I find you; the more I find you, the more I love you.”

God is a good, perfect, and faithful Father and we always have His undivided attention. He is always ready to meet with us when we seek Him out because He loves us; he is attentive, and desires to meet our needs.

Matthew 7:7 says “Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.”

When we draw near to the Lord, we can’t help but come away different. The word is alive and the change it elicits is radical in its subtlety. We exchange our old ways of thinking for God’s truth and let it take root in our hearts.

Romans 12:2 says “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Changing our minds aligns our desires with His will and forms us into the ideal instruments for His work. How do we know if it’s working? Nothing exposes the posture of the heart like external pressure. What pours out of you when you are pressed?

Luke 6:45 says “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of his heart his mouth speaks.”

I want to encourage you: continue to seek, continue to find, and continue to renew your mind letting the living water carve a new path through your heart.

Philippians 4:8 says “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

Doubts

At some point in everyone’s life there is doubt that creeps in. Whether it be a test, paying a bill, relationships, and even doubting god.

In John 20 we hear the story of doubting Thomas. Jesus’ disciples saw Jesus for the first time since He had been crucified and they were telling Thomas that they saw him. John 20:25 says, “So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

When Thomas finally saw Jesus he shouted, “My Lord and my God!” In John 20:29 Jesus says, “Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Everyone told Thomas that Jesus was back and he didn’t believe them until he saw him with his own eyes.

In April of 2024 the day had finally come where I was going to ask Mr. Billy to marry Kelanie. My parents both told me I was going to be nervous, and I didn’t believe them one bit. All my friends and family told me the same thing, but still I didn’t believe them.

As I pulled into their driveway I was still perfectly fine until I stepped inside their house. My heart started beating so fast to the point where I thought I was going to pass out! Mr. Billy and Mrs. Tera were in the living room, and they said hi to me as soon as I walked through the door. All I could do is wave at them without saying a word, and I walked straight to the hallway where my sister in law was and she saw just how nervous I was.

I went into their bathroom and washed my face and once I gathered myself together I walked back into the living room and asked Mr. Billy if he could come help me with my truck outside. When we were outside my 3 year old nephew was out there rolling in the mud and throwing rocks at the road, which calmed my nerves and I finally asked him for his blessing.

All day everyone told me I was going to be nervous, and I didn’t believe them one bit until the moment finally came. More times than we want to admit we doubt God and his plan that he has on our lives.

Jeremiah 29:11 says: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jesus please help us to not doubt you and to trust your plan that you have for us.

Allowed to mourn

We live in an imperfect world filled with imperfect people. Eventually, everyone gets hurt or is at some point suffering through hard times.

We go through loss and pain. Sometimes we forget that we are allowed to mourn, and we are allowed to hurt and cry. Even the most perfect man who roamed the Earth cried when he went through loss – it’s not a bad thing.

Some days will be good. Some days will be bad, but we can’t let that stop us from reaching Christ. It should be the opposite – we should turn towards God in hard times.

“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” Mathew 5:4

When we hurt some of us bottle it in. We try to stay strong. Continue with life leaving it soaking in sorrow. I’ve learned this is not healthy and can lead to even more pain and suffering. If we seek comfort in Christ, we will receive it.

“The Lord is close with the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” Psalms 34:18

The Lord is always with us through the good and bad. He is there, whether you have accepted him or not, but the best thing in the whole world is when you have accepted him and you get to be with him and He gets to help you through the hardest times.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelations 21:4

Those who have been saved through faith by God‘s grace know that we may be hurting now, but when the time comes, God will wipe all of our tears, and we shall no longer suffer.

I pray that no matter what you’re going through that you just give it all to God because he loves you. Always remember to trust in him especially at your low

Hope

I’ve spent a lot of time reading the old testament in my quiet time recently, and my take away from everything I’ve read is to have faith like those before me.

David was thrown in a lions den.

Joseph was sold into slavery and thrown in prison.

Moses was called to lead a nation out of slavery.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a furnace.

These men faced unfathomable circumstances and used it to proclaim God is faithful. They walked the walk and talked the talk. These stories are not only about God delivering them, but about how having faith when it makes no sense has an impact on those around us.

Hope is the most impactful when it shouldn’t be there. Let’s use our fiery furnace, our lions den, to show people how good our God is.

Paul writes in acts 27:15 “so take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.”

Use your trails to show Jesus!