Carrying one another’s burdens….even ones we don’t know well…<3

As I type, Russ is running a game of UNO in the background. Joel is making some kind of repetitive noise with different word phrases that sound like some kind of old oyster might sound on SpongeBob Squarepants. 

Graham is diverting comments from Joel to Russ to Caroline to Lucy the dog and Caroline is letting out small squeals or shouts depending on the way of the cards. Disputes alternate between giggles and outbursts of laughter and I am determined to put a post up. 

I am also remembering why I have notebooks full of ideas of things I wanted to write when we were raising our three and all I could get out of my brain were scattered thoughts to try and come back to some day. 

So if this makes any sense, it is definitely a divine work of the Lord through a flawed human in the middle of “real family life” on planet earth. But let’s give it a go.

Yesterday I had filled the car up (3.36 a gallon, thanks to saver cards and such) and was waiting to exit the station area onto the street. The gas station is situated at a very busy corner where the road leading to the Mall meets the U.S. Highway that runs straight through our town. 

As I watched for a clearing, a rather large SUV was coming along and had her signal on to merge into the far left lane to turn south on the highway. A smaller car came at a rapid speed alongside her and I am sure was in her blind spot. It was a near miss. The sedan zoomed ahead, the SUV braked hard and thankfully all was well. 

Except for the driver of the offending car who opened his door and made some gestures back toward the woman who was now holding her hands up. She was alternating holding her face and then her heart and back to her face. 

I have been her. I know she was working between gratitude, regret, wondering what she had done wrong, thankful there was no crash and absorbing the anger of this stranger who had been speeding and careless. 

I was able to pull out before the light changed and I pulled alongside her. I tried to smile to her and express compassion and camaraderie but her hands were now firmly pressed to the sides of her head. She was well behind the other car waiting for the light to change. 

Eventually we made our turn. The car that was in a hurry peeled off to the interstate that runs perpendicular to the highway and the red vehicle was able to drive a normal speed and get on with her day. 

I thought about her for a while. I know she was probably running the thing over in her head and trying to figure out if she had done something wrong. She was probably angry and sad and thankful and scared all in cycles. 

And I was all that for her. 

I prayed for her and for her day. I prayed for the guy who was in such a hurry he wreaked havoc and caused at least two people a bit of anxiety. And I prayed for the safety of our entire family, every friend I could think of, Graham’s future years of driving and all of his siblings. 

All that to say, there was a full day ahead of me filled with my emotions and all the ones I seem to pick up and carry for others. By the time I got home way later in the afternoon, I put groceries away and then I just sat in a chair and closed my eyes and let God hold me for a bit. 

I am currently doing a study on Sabbath rest and we can’t figure out if the teacher means we need to take all day on Sunday, time throughout each day or figure out where we are collecting too much manna and stop every now and again and let enough be enough. 

For yesterday, that 20 minutes in my chair just resting in God was my Sabbath. 

How about you?

What wears you down and how do you take the time to stop and just be in His presence for some R&R?