Recently, my wife, Deb, found a handcrafted primitive cabinet at her favorite craft store. She fell in love with it and had the perfect place for it in her crafting studio downstairs in our townhouse. I said I thought it was too expensive, and so that was that. Or was it? Later, I went back and purchased the cabinet as a surprise for her. She has come through the long journey of breast cancer. I wanted to bless and surprise her.
The problem was how to get the cabinet home. It was too large to fit in the back of my Bronco. So I made arrangements for my son John to meet me at the store with his pickup truck to haul the cabinet home. When we got home, we had two options. We could carry the cabinet through the front door and down the steps to the basement. 
Or we could carry it around the outside of the house, down the sloping side yard, and take it in the sliding glass door into the basement. I thought the outside option would be easiest, but there was still some snow on the ground and mud. As we were thinking through our plan, all of a sudden, John just grabbed the cabinet, picked it up, and started around the house and down the slope towards the back door! He said, “I thought it would be easier than one of us needing to walk backwards down the slope in the snow.” I think maybe he was thinking about his “old” father. John is strong and he made it seem so simple, even though I felt a bit embarrassed. He carried the cabinet alone like it was nothing!
As I write this, the new war in the Mideast has begun. It is a bit frightening. Biblical prophecy appears to be unfolding before our eyes. Our hearts can be filled with many emotions. Sadness at the loss of life, concern for those in harm’s way, worries about loved ones, especially those who are unsaved; so many emotions! We pray for the peace of Israel as Scripture directs. We pray for the leaders of our nation and all the nations involved. We pray for young men and women serving in the military. We pray for innocents who find themselves in harm’s way. We pray for God’s perfect will. Burdens!
As I write this, my prayer list has gotten long with persons facing difficult health issues. There are others I’m praying for who have life problems that seem beyond fixing. Burdens!
Maybe you are carrying these burdens too. Maybe others. Just as John, in his strength, picked up the cabinet, we have a God who cares about and can carry every burden. Here’s a great Scriptural promise: “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens” Psalm 68:19 (NIV).
Dear ones, today, let our Great & Mighty Lord carry your burdens!
Larry Dentler – CBC Executive Board
