If You Feel Yourself Breaking Under the Load

“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.”

I first read these words several months ago. I don’t remember where, exactly. I think it may have been on Instagram, possibly on a motivational sign or some such.

There was no attribution that I can recall, but a quick internet search reveals that the quote may have originated with Lou Holz, the legendary college football coach, or perhaps C.S. Lewis or actress Lene Horne.

Whoever said it—or said it first—I get the point. But I also don’t think it applies to every situation.

When you’re going through a tough season or struggling to complete a difficult assignment, it’s important to educate yourself about what to expect, how to proceed and the best ways to do things. It can help to have people alongside you, praying for you, cheering you on or even shouldering some of the weight.

Strategy is important. Support groups help. Friends are a comfort.

In some cases, though, it doesn’t matter how you carry the load—not really. Some loads simply cannot be shared, at least not all the time. In these instances, you don’t break down because you have bad coping skills or your support system isn’t strong enough or your faith is too small.

You break down because the load is too heavy, for too long.

The breaking down might happen for the world to see or it might occur in the silent, secret places of your soul that are known only to you and God. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, when it happens. Sometimes we have to break apart before we can be put back together. That might provide some degree of hope, but it doesn’t make it any easier at the time.

When the burden is the kind that may never go away, the scriptures remind us that God’s grace is sufficient. When we don’t understand, when we can’t fix it, when we feel powerless to pray—when we feel nothing at all—His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Even if we stop casting our cares upon Him, He never stops caring for us.

If you’re anything like me, you might not realize how heavy your load was until it fades away or rolls off or crumbles in a million pieces. You might not realize how heavy your load has been for the people closest to you until it’s lifted from your shoulders.

First Peter 5:10 assures us that “the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little.”

We’re not given a timeline for this promise, of course. And though I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, when relief finally comes, it sometimes brings with it grief or pain we weren’t anticipating.

If it’s not one thing, it’s another. I’ve never seen this truth etched on a motivational sign, but as long as we’re living within the confines of earthly time, we can expect to be carrying one burden after another.

Troubles, heartaches and pain are not signs of weak faith or no faith. They are part of life. Maybe they are even signs of life.

It’s a refrain that’s becoming more and more familiar to me, the older I get.

There is joy in the journey, but it’s a long walk home.

♥ Lois

P.S. I’m linking up this week with Purposeful Faith, #TellHisStory, Let’s Have Coffee, Faith on Fire, Faith ‘n Friends and Grace & Truth.

Photo of fruit on cart by Sang Nguyen on Unsplash.  Photo of  “Heavy” sticker by Keagan Henman on Unsplash.