Empathetic or Pathetic?

I began today with worry. It has been my constant companion since my alarm went off. The sun was hiding behind sheets of rain at the time, so I went back to bed for an hour.

As I have mentioned before, I take empathy to a whole new level. When worry sets in, I turn empathetic into pathetic. I am prone to letting the cares of this world affect my mood. I'd like to be able to say that I have a constant underlying joy despite any circumstance, but that is only true up to the point where I start to worry.

As my load becomes too heavy for my frail shoulders to bear, my spirit becomes exhausted. I begin to feel, deep in my soul, that I am way older than my chronological age. I become weary and worn, and crave nothing more than eternal rest at the feet of my Savior. Even as I write this, I yearn for the day when the Lord takes me home and this world I am visiting lies forever behind me. On days like this – days like today – I find that my prayers make a subtle shift from aid in this life to reprieve from it. In my emotional exhaustion, I forget that the “joy set before me” is not merely waiting for me on the other side, but is available to me now, though in a slightly less tangible form.

This worry-laden forgetfulness does not any longer resemble noble empathy. It is merely pathetic. There is nothing noble in carrying unnecessary burdens. The desire to do so is noble, but the uneducated pride that actually attempts it is not. These are not my burdens to carry. They are not my problems to fix. By attempting to carry or fix these stolen woes, I help no one and hurt myself. I am even in danger of damaging my testimony, because the gospel is not complete without joy.

Knowing the human propensity for worry and the weight of the cares of this world, Jesus tells us this: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” (Mt 11:28-30, NET) This rest He speaks of is not only available after life on earth is over. Through the Holy Spirit, we can access His throne; through prayer and meditation, we can lay our burdens at His feet. He can help – we have only to ask.

This world is heavy. Our shoulders are weak. There are some burdens we must carry – but we don't have to bear them alone. There is never a need to allow the cares of this world to cast a shadow on the joy of being a child of the King. It will never be bad enough that He can't help you through. No load can possibly be that heavy.