Lightening the Load - Karen Masteller
In the popular sitcom, Friends, Courtney Cox portrays 20-something New Yorker Monica Geller, known for her compulsion for orderliness. My family has nicknamed me Monica. Yes, I hang my shirts, sweaters, and jackets by color. Yes, my junk drawer has dividers with everything in its place. And, yes, I have arranged my classic books in alphabetical order by author’s last name. I’ve set the boundaries for clothing, junk, and books, and they all behave. I am in control of the stuff, and I am content. We have an excellent relationship.
Unfortunately, through my journey in life, I’ve learned that I cannot manage circumstances, relationships, or the unexpected in the same way. Oh, I try—with a to-do list. On small slips of paper, I write out everything—organized by category. My reminders are labeled as follows: Contacts, Priority, Desk Work, Travel, Cleaning, Outside Work, Writing Projects, Business, Other Stuff, and The Ick. But my to-do list is never done. At the end of a day, I may flourish some check marks, but many tasks spill messily into the next day. And usually, more tasks and interruptions have intruded creating more clutter. This burden to complete everything makes me twitch.
One night as I lay in bed, calming my mind for sleep, I pictured a day whereby I could go to bed with all tasks completed. I imagined that would provide perfect contentment, and I would enjoy the best night’s sleep ever. Hefting this burden of finishing each day with all I’s dotted and all T’s crossed weighs me down. It pushes me at an unnatural speed with no margin but lots of stress. Then I realized, I was doing all the heavy lifting on my own. A framed picture in my office highlights Matthew 11:28-30. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
My first reading of that verse puzzled me. I wondered how loading a weighty wooden yoke on my back would lighten the load. Then I learned the value of a yoke. The first benefit of using a yoke is that it connects two oxen together. In the verse, Jesus says, “Come to Me.” Priority is my connection to Him through faith. Then, side by side, I walk yoked with Him daily through the Word, in prayer, and attentive to the Holy Spirit.
Besides connecting two oxen, a yoke also distributes the weight of any burden evenly. The two animals shoulder the weight together. So, in my faith walk with Jesus, He bears any load with me. I know through many promises in the Bible that I am not alone, He will never leave me, and when I am weary, He will lift me up. If I work alongside Jesus, He can relieve me of that pressure I carry to finish everything in one day. He says in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” I am reminded to focus on the present and work within the 24 hours God gives me each day.
Finally, a yoke ensures that a job is done efficiently. With two working together, the task or burden is more easily managed. As part of a team, I’m supposed to partner with Jesus. But self-centered Monica takes over and uber-organizes the day. Proverbs 16:9 reminds me that “A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.” I must choose to walk His way. As I step out into the journey of each new day, I must walk one step at a time yoked to God. Spring cleaning is right around the corner. I already have a list labeled “Plans-a-Plenty” for sprucing up the inside and outside of my home. I even have a priority task to alphabetize my collection of vinyl albums. Planning drives me, and there is wisdom in being prepared for the future. But I must hold my plans lightly and pivot easily. Even if at the end of the day, my to-do list has not become a that’s done list, I’m learning to be content and at peace walking at God’s pace.
