Thursday, September 10, 2009

Laying down burdens

I'm up late at night trying to find a prayer. The trouble is, I don't know for what I should pray. I know my prayers can have more than one thought - just like praying for one person, but I still don't know what's on my heart.

I know what my fears are, and I know I have burdens. I trust that I have done the best I can to avoid harm, and if I caused it, I trust I found it in time to seek forgiveness. My fears are not just for me, they are for others too. I wonder what plagues them so that they feel trapped or cornered and must fight for their lives. I wonder if they feel lonely. I wonder if I could have helped but walked on by, never noticing the burden.

I start to think of others who have power. In the midst of a heated health care debate, how do the people in charge find a way to sleep at night? Do they sleep well because they are comfortable and do not trouble themselves if others are in need? Do they sleep well because they have done all they can and worrying won't make it better? Do they sleep poorly because they wonder how they could make it better? Do they sleep at all because they wonder if the world will reject the message they have to bring?

Since I am writing this at midnight, I am clearly not in the first two... the question remains, which one am I in? I want to lay my burden down, but I keep questioning what more I could have done. I keep replaying scenes in my head looking for ways people could have been hurt. There are no stories about Jesus going to sleep. It's mentioned that he is tired; I even think it mentions that he did sleep. Most of the sleeping happens with the disciples, and Mark documents it best. Jesus carried a great weight on his shoulders, and I have no idea when or how he slept... a very basic function of the body.

I know who I am and what I have to give to the world. I know it will not always be accepted with open arms. I guess in light of all of this my prayer is that those who reject the message I bring do so in respect and without ill will... I will strive to do the same in bringing the message forth.

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