Sharing is Caring

Michael was an only child for three and a half years which made the lesson about sharing toys a little more interesting to teach.  There were days that we would be playing with his trains or legos and I would purposefully take one away that he was playing with just to get a rise out of him and be able to talk to him about the whole concept of allowing someone else to play with "his" things.  I am sure I looked ridiculous but there are only so many play dates that a child can have and I knew with baby number two on the way we really needed to hit the subject head on.  Well after many tantrums and time outs I can remember when he finally responded the way I was hoping- "sharing is caring" he said to me.

 

Now I am sure that you are thinking what a wonderful four year old.  And yes, he is wonderful, but in the moment he said this phrase it wasn't exactly what I was expecting.  Rich and I were sitting down in the livingroom (probably watching something manly like Project Runway or Army Wives, not that he would ever confess to watching such things with me) and typical of the iGeneration Michael comes waltzing into the room asking to play a game on his phone.  When Rich said he couldn't Michael pulled out the key phrase that I had been trying to teach him, "but dad, sharing is caring".  We had a big laugh.  He knew the essence of the phrase whether he wanted to apply it to his own life or not. 

 

And he was right, sharing is caring.

 

Yesterday, during the morning church service, we had an abundance of people asking to be prayed over and the man in charge of our altar care motioned over for me to come help.  As I stood in front a woman walked up to me, sobbing so uncontrollably that I couldn't make out any of the words she was saying.  So I grabbed one of her hands with mine and wrapped the other one around her pulling her in close.  I started to pray for her and as I did I began to feel her pain.  Her burden had become my burden.  The weight on her shoulders was now the weight on my shoulders.  I don't know her situation or the cause of her pain but I can tell you that it reached to the depths of her soul.  As I pulled away I could feel the tears streaming down my face and all I could think to myself was peace, peace that surpasses understanding, and strength and faith in the Lord to overcome any trial she may be facing. That was my continual thoughts and prayer for her.  I returned to my seat, ruined for the rest of the service.

 

I woke up today knowing that I wanted to share this with you, whoever you may be, because I know that you or someone you know has at one time been caught under the weight of something such as this.  When your pain was so insurmountable that tears replaced your words and you found your greatest strength on your knees pleading with the Lord.  God is so good and gracious towards us that He put such a wonderful verse in the Bible for such times as these, it says to "carry one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).  This verse goes back to the very lesson I have been trying to instill in my son- that sharing is caring.  You were never meant to feel the burden alone.  Your family was never meant to carry their burden alone.  Your friends were never meant to carry their burden alone.  The homeless, the widows, the orphans- and anyone else facing great struggles- were never meant to carry their burden alone.  Let's pray for them... let's give of our time and abundance... let's share in their heavy load.  Because sharing IS caring.

 

 

Matthew 11:28-30

" Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”