Human Insufficiency

“Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” (Ephesians 6:10 NLT)

Our beloved dog has been diagnosed with bone cancer. The vet said she won’t live much longer. The only thing we can do is keep her as comfortable as possible until she dies. Now, I know that a dying pet might not seem like a huge crisis when compared to many other situations. However, it is hard for me--and this blog has always been a place where I share what I am learning in my daily struggles. I could write pages about how wonderful she is and how much we are going to miss her--but that is not the point of this post. I want to confess how I have been dealing with my feelings. 

I found out the news during a period of days when my closest family and friends were occupied with major issues of their own. I couldn’t bare to unload my emotions and add to their burdens. Thus, I tried other coping mechanisms--immersing myself in busyness and distractions, numbing myself with food. None of it worked. My dog was still in pain. I was still a mess.

“When you are yoked to Me, your weary souls will find rest.” (Matthew 11:29 VOICE)

In a crisis, most of us try to cope by depending on human support, distractions, busyness, indulgence, or other worldly resources. We yoke ourselves to human solutions, hoping to find relief. A yoke is a beam that is placed on a pair of oxen so that they may pull a load together. It is often custom-made to fit individual animals. Our weary souls can only find rest when we are harnessed to Jesus, when we collaborate with Him. The word collaborate means to co-labor or to work together. Our burdens can only be made lighter by drawing on the strength of God. Our insufficiencies are precisely shaped to lead us to Christ’s sufficiency. Every other coping mechanism will be ill-fitting and inefficient. Share your burdens with Christ. Be strong and confident in the Lord and in His mighty power.