Casting your burdens on the Lord

The last few weeks have brought challenges, struggles, and worries.  As I have been contemplating the events and the reason for them I couldn't help but feel weighed down and frustrated.  On one particular day that I was really struggling with life - financially, faithfully, emotionally - the words of the hymn "How Gentle God's Commands" kept running through my mind. 

"Come, cast your burdens on the Lord And trust his constant care."

 I could not remember the title of the hymn, nor any other line in this beautiful, comforting song.  Over and over those words ran through my mind.  I came to the conclusion that I did not know how to cast my burdens onto the Lord. I began to ponder this simple phrase.  It couldn't be too complicated to give up my trials to Him and trust in His love and care could it? 

Over the past week I have come up with a few ideas on how to cast my burdens onto our Savior and to trust in His constant care.

Psalms 55:22 " Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."

Isaiah 53:4 it says "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."

To cast our burdens on the Lord means to give up those things that weigh us down. He bore our griefs so that we don't have to. The question in my mind was "How?". 

The simple answer was to begin with prayer and ponder those things that I already knew.  As I prayed and pondered the overwhelming sense of loneliness was lifted.  This was the first step to casting these particular burdens at the feet of my Savior. Next I decided what I could do to lighten the anxiety that filled me. I would listen as the Lord guided my footsteps.

 I will give you an example.  I wanted to put my kids into swimming lessons this summer but financially the money was not there for us to do so.  I was so broken hearted at this that I cried one night into my pillow.  The fun things that I had planned for the summer would not be happening for my beautiful children.  As I prayed and pondered on what I could do to make their summer wonderful I was blessed with inspiration.  There are a lot of free activities in our area. Our Saturdays will be dedicated to these free activities and one day during the week we will be doing a theme day.  The kids are looking forward to these with a great anticipation.  I believe that the Lord blessed me to use my talents to overcome the weight of not being able to take them to the water parks or museums that I had planned on.  My children will benefit from the ingenuity that the Lord blessed me with.

Swim lessons may seem a trivial thing but they had been very important to me.  The Lord was aware of me and of my desires to provide a fun summer for my children. Another thing that I have been doing is taking into account the positive things in my life.  The things that make life so fun, enjoyable and wonderful. 2 Nephi 2:25 "Adam fell that men might be: and men are that they might have joy."

 

The Lord wants us to be joyful.  He wants us to give our struggles to Him.  Today I felt hope. And that is the culmination of casting our burdens to the Lord.  He gives us hope.  Whether it was the really good workout I had, the long shower I took, the kids pounding nails into the deck, or the positive thoughts that I have been focusing on, but my whole being was filled with hope. And I realized - these burdens have been cast upon the Lord.

How gentle God's commands!

How kind his precepts are!

Come, cast your burdens on the Lord

And trust his constant care.

Beneath his watchful eye,

His Saints securely dwell;

That hand which bears all nature up

Shall guard his children well.

Why would this anxious load

Press down your weary mind?

Haste to your Heav'nly Father's throne

And sweet refreshment find.

His goodness stands approved,

Unchanged from day to day;

I'll drop my burden at his feet

And bear a song away.

-Phillip Doddridge