God is a good God and will be with us through every trial and tribulation 
that may come our way. I encourage you to be strong and never let this 
world or the things associated with it get you down or make you feel that 
you are not worth it. Jesus loves you and is with you every step of the 
way.

This is an excellent story of how the Lord is with us and never leaves our
side. It is a little long but well worth the time to read. I hope this 
story blesses you as it has for me.


THE BURDEN

"Why was my burden so heavy?" I slammed the bedroom door and leaned 
against it. Is there no rest from this life? I wondered. I stumbled to my 
bed and dropped onto it, pressing my pillow around my ears to shut out the 
noise of my existence. "Oh God," I cried, "let me sleep. Let me sleep 
forever and never wake up!" With a deep sob I tried to will myself into 
oblivion, then welcomed the blackness that came over me. 

Light surrounded me as I regained consciousness. I focused on its source: 
the figure of a man standing before a cross. "My child," the person 
asked, "why did you want to come to Me before I am ready to call 
you?" "Lord, I'm sorry. It's just that... I can't go on. You see how hard 
it is for me. Look at this awful burden on my back. I simply can't carry 
it anymore." "But haven't I told you to cast all of your burdens upon Me, 
because I care for you? My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." "I knew 
You would say that. But why does mine have to be so heavy?" "My child, 
everyone in the world has a burden. Perhaps you would like to try a 
different one?" "I can do that?" (Matthew 11:28)

He pointed to several burdens lying at His feet. "You may try any of 
these." All of them seemed to be of equal size. But each was labeled with 
a name. "There's Joan's," I said. Joan was married to a wealthy 
businessman. She lived in a sprawling estate and dressed her three 
daughters in the prettiest designer clothes. Sometimes she drove me to 
church in her Cadillac when my car was broken. "Let me try that one." How 
difficult could her burden be? I thought. The Lord removed my burden and 
placed Joan's on my shoulders. I sank to my knees beneath its 
weight. "Take it off!" I said. "What makes it so heavy?" "Look inside." I 
untied the straps and opened the top. Inside was a figure of her Mother-in
-law, and when I lifted it out, it began to speak. "Joan, you'll never be 
good enough for my son," it began. "He never should have married you. 
You're a terrible mother to my grandchildren..." I quickly placed the 
figure back in the pack and withdrew another. It was Donna, Joan's 
youngest daughter. Her head was bandaged from the surgery that had failed 
to resolve her epilepsy. A third figure was Joan's brother. Addicted to 
drugs, he had been convicted of killing a police officer. "I see why her 
burden is so heavy, Lord. But she's always smiling and helping others. I 
didn't realize..." "Would you like to try another?" He asked quietly. I 
tested several. Paula's felt heavy: She was raising four small boys 
without a father. Debra's did too: a childhood of sexual abuse and a 
marriage of emotional abuse. When I came to Ruth's burden, I didn't even 
try. I knew that inside I would find arthritis, old age, a demanding 
full-time job, and a beloved husband in a nursing home. 

"They're all too heavy, Lord" I said. "Give back my own." As I lifted the 
familiar load once again, It seemed much lighter than the others. "Lets 
look inside" He said. I turned away, holding it close. "That's not a good 
idea," I said. "Why?" "There's a lot of junk in there." "Let Me see." The 
gentle thunder of His voice compelled me. I opened my burden. He pulled 
out a brick. "Tell me about this one." "Lord, You know. It's money. I know 
we don't suffer like people in some countries or even the homeless here in 
America. But we have no insurance, and when the kids get sick, we can't 
always take them to the doctor. They've never been to a dentist. And I'm 
tired of dressing them in hand-me-downs." "My child, I will supply all of 
your needs... and your children's. I've given them healthy bodies. I will 
teach them that expensive clothing doesn't make a person valuable in My 
sight." Then He lifted out the figure of a small boy. "And this?" He 
asked. "Andrew..." I hung my head, ashamed to call my son a burden. "But, 
Lord, he's hyperactive. He's not quiet like the other two. He makes me so 
tired. He's always getting hurt, and someone is bound to think I abuse 
him. I yell at him all the time. Someday I may really hurt him...." "My 
child," He said, "if you trust Me, I will renew your strength, If you 
allow Me to fill you with My Spirit, I will give you patience." Then He 
took some pebbles from my burden. "Yes, Lord," I said with a sigh. "Those 
are small. But they're important. I hate my hair. It's thin, and I can't 
make it look nice. I can't afford to go to the beauty shop. I'm overweight 
and can't stay on a diet. I hate all my clothes. I hate the way I 
look!" "My child, people look at your outward appearance, but I look at 
your heart. By My Spirit you can gain self-control to lose weight. But 
your beauty should not come from outward appearance. Instead, it should 
come from your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet 
spirit, which is of great worth in My sight." 

My burden now seemed lighter than before. "I guess I can handle it now" I 
said. "There is more," He said. "Hand Me that last brick." "Oh, You don't 
have to take that. I can handle it." "My child, give it to Me." Again His 
voice compelled me. He reached out His hand, and for the first time I saw 
the ugly wound. "But, Lord, this brick is so awful, so nasty, Lord! What 
happened to Your hands? They're so scarred!" No longer focused on my 
burden, I looked for the first time into His face. In His brow were ragged 
scars-as though someone had pressed thorns into His flesh. "Lord," I 
whispered. "What happened to You?" His loving eyes reached into my 
soul. "My child, you know. Hand Me the brick. It belongs to Me. I bought 
it." "How?" "With My blood." "But why, Lord?" "Because I have loved you 
with an everlasting love. Give it to Me." I placed the filthy brick into 
His wounded palm. It contained all the dirt and evil of my life: my pride, 
my selfishness, the depression that constantly tormented me. He turned to 
the cross and hurled my brick into the pool of blood at its base. It 
hardly made a ripple. 

"Now, My child, you need to go back. I will be with you always. When you 
are troubled, call to Me and I will help you and show you things you 
cannot imagine now." "Yes, Lord, I will call on You." I reached to pick up 
my burden. "You may leave that here if you wish. You see all these 
burdens? They are the ones that others have left at My feet. Joan's, 
Paula's, Debra's, Ruth's.....When you leave your burden here, I carry it 
with you. Remember, My yoke is easy and My burden is light." As I placed 
my burden with Him, the light began to fade." (Jeremiah 33:3)

Yet I heard Him whisper, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." A 
peace flooded my soul. Amen. (Deuteronomy 31:6) 

Author Unknown


There is really nothing more I need to say because I believe this story is 
true and that's exactly what the Lord is saying to each one of us. Trust 
in Him to meet our needs and when we struggle with these trials we need to 
give God our burdens and He is faithful to take it and give us the peace 
that surpasses all understanding. (Read Philippians 4:6-7)

God bless you and be with you every step of your life.


In Christ Service, 

Dwayne Savaya 
Gods Work Ministry