After coming home from the grocery store last week, I found my shower curtain, rod and all, sprawled across the shower floor.  At first glance, it startled me since I knew it wasn’t that way when I left the house.  Had an intruder gained access to my home while I was out?  Looking around, nothing else appeared to be out of place; nothing seemed to be missing. It was highly unlikely that someone had crawled through a window just to take a shower or something from it (although, those Venus razors cost more than some of my jewelry!).

Upon further investigation I realized what had happened. The poor rod had collapsed under the weight of three water-logged bath towels that had been flung over top of it. One towel might have been okay, but three? That was just a little too much weight for my shower curtain rod to bear. After all it wasn’t designed to be a towel rack, right?

At first I tried lifting the whole thing at once, get that mess off the floor and fix it…

I soon learned that this “quick-fix” method obviously wasn’t going to be the best approach. Those towels were huge!  Have you ever tried carrying a bunch of huge, wet towels?  If so, then you know what I mean.  I could feel the heaviness that caused the collapse.

Lifting the towels off, one by one, I restored the shower curtain, rod and all, back to it’s rightful place to once again serve the purpose it was intended to serve.

The burdens of life can sometimes feel as if we’re carrying a ton of wet towels on our shoulders.  Ever feel that way?  Like when we can’t let go of the past; all that old baggage that can weigh us down: past relationships, a career that ended, a wrong choice…

Or maybe it’s what’s happening in the here-and-now: illness, financial issues, job loss, the loss of a loved one…

So much heaviness to bear, as one towel becomes two, then three…. As we know, my shower curtain rod reached its breaking point at three, so how far can we go carrying all of that heaviness?  To the point where we could just collapse under the weight of it all?

We were not designed to be towel racks, well, you know what I mean. We don’t have to carry all of those heavy burdens.  We don’t have to fix everything, because frankly, we can’t.

Here’s the good news, the hope:  we have a loving God who can.  We were made in His image; we have a God who cares so much for us, He became flesh and dwelt among us.  Jesus paid the price and took our sins to the cross, yours, mine…  It’s personal and it was for me and it was for you.

So pack up that baggage, including those wet towels and lift it all up to Him; He’ll take it from you, that’s a promise, His promise.  Let Him lift it from you so you can move forward to fulfill and serve the purpose you were intended to serve.

“Cast your burdens on the Lord, And He shall sustain you;  He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”                              Psalm 55:22

Prayer Prompt:                                                                                           

Lord, thank you that I can cast my burdens on you; and when I feel overwhelmed with the cares and worries of this world, Your Word tells me I can lift my requests to you in prayer, and the peace that passes all understanding will be mine.  Thank you Lord, that you have plans for me and through You I have a hope and a future.  Direct my steps Lord, as I trust in You; make clear the path of life, so I may serve You and others, doing the good works you prepared in advance for me to do according to Your will.
In Jesus Name, Amen.  

*Please feel free to share a testimony or praise report on how the Lord lifted a burden in your life…. you never know how He might use those words to encourage someone who is hurting…