Burdens: Samwise Gamgee...and Jesus (Part II)

Samwise offered to carry Frodo's load when he saw that his friend's exhaustion under it had left him unable to move. But it turned out to be impossible. Most of us rarely get that bad, but when we do...?

Others sometimes help us out...though not always. They may wish they could...but be unable to.  But we shouldn't get discouraged! There is always the One who walks at our side (if we let Him) and is ready to carry our burdens.

          His shoulders are broad enough to handle the heaviest load,
          his arms strong enough to secure the most crushing burden.

"Cast your burden on the LORD (release it) and He will sustain and uphold you..."  (Psalm 55:22)

"Yet it was our grief He bore, our sorrows that weighed Him down."  (Isaiah 53:4)

"Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you."  (I Peter 5:7)
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Samwise couldn't carry Frodo's burden, but he could carry Frodo himself.  Few of those close to us can carry us.  But, again, we shouldn't get discouraged! The only One capable of lifting us up and carrying us as far as we need Him to is just as present and willing as He was millenia ago when He reminded his people:

"You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to Myself."  (Exodus 19:4)
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Where does He carry us?  "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart..."  (Isaiah 10:11)

For how long?  "There you saw how the LORD your God carried you...all the way you went." (Deuteronomy 1:31)
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Those of us who are "getting on" in age  can delight ourselves in this next verse...and you youngsters can hold the promise in your heart for the future!

                            "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, 
                                   and I am He who will sustain you. 
                                I have made you and I will carry you;                                                                          I  will sustain you and rescue you."   (Isaiah 46:4)

                                  Thank You, Father, for this promise!     
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(P.S. If you're wondering about Galatians 6:5, "For each one should carry his own load", the meaning is very different. It's saying that we are each responsible for our own conduct.  On the Bible Hub, it is well-explained thusly: Each one of us "must answer directly to God for his actions.  His responsibility cannot be shifted on to others." )

Burdens: Samwise Gamgee...and Jesus (Part I)

Poor beast!  (Have you ever felt like this?) The load he pulled was so heavy - and lopsided -  he ended up unable to move, unable to do anything to help himself.  There are burdens that can  virtually paralyze.

I am finally getting on my feet after almost two weeks of illness, most of the time spent laying either on my bed or on the sofa.  Since I couldn't do much of anything productive, I watched a number of movies. In the latter part of The Return of the King, I waited for one of my favorite parts.

Frodo and Samwise struggle up the rough, rocky mountainside, both of them exhausted.  Frodo carries a crushing, paralyzing burden  - the Ring -  and cannot keep going.  Samwise knows the ring must be thrown into the volcano, and offers to carry the ring for Frodo, who explains why that simply can't be. So Samwise musters all the strength he has left and says, "Come, Mr. Frodo! I can't carry it for you...but I can carry you!"  Lifting the smaller hobbit, he carries him to the completion of their mission.
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St. Paul wrote: "Carry one another's burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ {that is, the law of Christian love}."  (Galatians 6:2, Amplified Bible)*

There are times when, though we would like to "carry another's burdens", we find it impossible...like Samwise did.  He was able to pick up the burden-bearer and continue. But there are times when we simply can't "carry" that person as he/she labors under a heavy burden. What can we do?

There is never "nothing I can do".  There are usually other ways in which we can help, but most importantly, we can always pray...and pray that this person will end up where this short poem ends up!

                                             Falling

                                    I'm falling...falling...
                                    can't keep holding on.
                                    My grip is too weak
                                    and my strength almost gone;

                                    down through miasmas
                                    of fainting and fears;
                                    down through the sandstorms
                                    of turmoil and tears;

                                     grazing the claws
                                     of our Foe's deadly charms;
                                     falling...falling...
                                     right into Your arms!
                                                                                        ---Becky Rhon
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What a wonderful place to end up!  In fact, I think we could say that the troubles and difficulties that affect us can actually be "blessings in disguise" IF the outcome is to fall right into our loving Shepherd's arms!

Yes, He carries us!  The Word of God has many references to God carrying our burdens AND carrying us.  In next week's post, we'll look at some of these beautiful, heartening verses.  Please join me!
                                 
(Here's a "preview".)

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens."   (Psalm 68:19)
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(*Yes, there's a verse that says each person should shoulder his own load. That's not a contradiction.  We'll look at it next week, OK?)

Tyndale's prayer...Henry VIII's edict

Last night we watched "God's Outlaw"...and it left me thinking.  William Tyndale dedicated his life to translating the Bible into English, passionate to make it available to everyone in England. *

Tyndale was later executed (1536) for "heresy". His dying words were, "Lord, open the king of England's eyes." That prayer was answered.

Henry VIII had hounded Tyndale and others...but after "divorcing" England from the Catholic church, as the new "boss", he changed tactics.  In 1538 his royal edict ordered that "one book of the whole Bible of the largest volume in English" be allocated to every church in the country. Each was to be set up "in some convenient place whereas your parishioners may most commodiously resort to the same and read it".  Double-whammy for the Pope! The Bible in English, and everyone having the right to read it for himself.

I thought of the fact that many churches today have a stand or pedestal, usually at the front, with a large open Bible.  Does that custom derive from Henry's edict, a hold-over that continues into our times in some churches?  (I haven't been able to find any information.)
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Now let's switch spaces.  Where is the Bible "displayed" in our lives? In a position of honor? Do we often "resort to the same and read it"? Do we allow it to be "the largest volume" that others can "read" in us as they observe what we do and say?

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work". (II Timothy 3:16-17)  The Word is given to us to be digested, used and lived...not just read and set aside, not just heard and then forgotten.
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Even when evil takes place around us, we can relish the beautiful images this passage from the Bible evokes and wrap them around our hearts.  Our God says,

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is the word that goes out of My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.  You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."  (Isaiah 55:10-12)
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              Father, help me to keep your Word in its proper position in my life. 
          Thank You for promising "you will go out in joy and be led forth in peace".  
                                               You are AWESOME!!



(*In case you wonder, Wycliffe translated into English from Latin, Tyndale from the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic.)

The "Great Horse Manure Crisis" of 1894

In 1894 The Times made this prediction:  "In 50 years, every street in London will be buried under nine feet of manure."  Phew!

It's understandable, due to "equine nature".  I read that a horse produces 15 - 35 pounds (!) of manure a day. In London there were more than 11,000 hansom cabs on the streets; AND  thousands of horse-drawn buses - each using 12 horses a day; AND a slew of smaller "vehicles", like delivery carts...all using horses...all of which contributed to what became known as the Great Horse Manure Crisis.

I assume the "nine feet" would be the result if the manure were never shoveled. There must have been crews trying to clean the stuff and leave the streets...if not clean, at least less gross!  But I can't imagine how the people stood the stench of all those horse droppings.  Did they just get used to it?
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After reading of this curious Crisis, I wondered if God, when He looks down on Earth and sees the streets of our lives "deep in the manure of sin"...with its attendant stink...wonders, "How can those people stand the stench of their sins?  Do they just get used to it?"

Manure is a perfectly healthy (for the horse, at least) by-product of "equine nature".  Sin is a perfectly unhealthy by-product of "human nature":

"But I was born a sinner, yes, from the moment my mother conceived me."  (Psalm 51:5)
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Back in the Israelites' history, God at times got really fed-up with them:

"Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption...."  (Isaiah 1:4)

Later in Isaiah, talking about the ones who were defiant and arrogant in their sin, "These people gag me.  I can't stand their stench."  (65:5)  Did the people just get used to the stink?
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The solution to the Great Horse Manure Crisis was the arrival of the motor car.  There was now a way to avoid the stench and pervasiveness of the manure.  And the solution to Man's Sin crisis was the arrival of the Son of God who payed the humanly-incomprehensible price for our forgiveness.  There is now a way to avoid the stench and pervasiveness of Sin.

"He Himself bore our sins, in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed."  (I Peter 2:24)

(After motor cars arrived, one could still have used a horse if he wanted - but he would have to deal with all the manure.  And though Jesus provided the way to be free from sin, we can still decide to disobey if we want - but we will have to deal with the consequences.)
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"But now that you have found you don't have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you...a whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way!..God's gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master."   (Romans 6:22-23,  The Message)
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                                                     Father, bless You!  
                                         You not only provided The Solution, 
                     You also gave us the incredible gift of eternal life at your side. 
                                           Help me to always listen to You!



                 
               

Oh dear...what have I gotten myself into??

Is there a verse in the Bible about "biting off more than one can chew"? ...'cuz I think I just did that!

Actually, "just" sounds like it was a few minutes ago, but it was a couple of weeks ago, when we were with the Tsachi church, joining them in their service - this time with my sister Carol.  It's been on my mind, and I'm still not sure how I'll carry it out.  But let me tell you about the eventful meeting first..
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Arriving at the church, we found that some guests from the Kichwa church were there, along with some Tsáchila from another area.  The picture above (taken after the activities were over and some had left) gives an example of the diversity of the people there that night.

You can see us, the 4th and 5th from the left - Germán slightly behind me - and beside me is Tserere, who is beside her husband Primitivo, the Tsachi leader of the church. My sister is the second from the right, and she is between the parents of a beautiful little baby whom we had the joy of dedicating to God.  (Holding  little Kleber Isaías in my arms while Germán prayed with the parents and the church was a joy!)  The others in the picture are a mixture of Tsachi and Kichwa and "white" leaders, including a foreign missionary.

Carol presented flash memories on which were stored pretty much all their literature in Tsáfiqui, including the Scriptures.  Then Germán gave the message, encouraging them to guide their lives by the Word of God, giving a bit more  history of the Scriptures becoming available - centuries ago - to different peoples in their own languages, and how vital it is to all believers.
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For the after-service activities, chairs were taken from their rows and lined up along the walls, to give more room for people to circulate.  I started serving up the Pineapple Cake I had taken.  As usual, they asked for the recipe...and not as usual, I had forgotten to take it with me! During this time, we had the baby-dedication and just chatted and caught up with others.

Then...I "bit off more than I could chew".  We have wanted to get an electronic piano for Tserere to play in the meetings.  I talked to her and her husband before we left, to get some information...and was a little dismayed.  She told me that my mom had not written the music with normal notes on pentagrams.  Adapting to necessity, she had had to invent another method, something about the placement of fingers...BUT...the notebook in which they were all written had been lost!  I wanted so much for her to be able to play that I said, "If I write out the songs for you, do you think that would work?  She and her husband both agreed that it would.  So I told them we would procure a piano for them.

It wasn't until later that it really sank in: their explanation of Mom's method wasn't clear, and I had no true idea how she did it...and the originals were lost! How in the world was I going to do what I offered?  Well, now I have to think of how to do this so that she can follow the songs, without drawing notes on staves.   (Any ideas out there?)
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I didn't find a verse on "biting off more than one can chew", but this might be close:  "Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes."  (Proverbs 19:2)  Oh well!!  I'll just cling to this verse:

"Don't worry over anything whatever; tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer, and the peace of God which transcends human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:6)
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                        Father, sometimes our enthusiasm backs us into a corner!
             Thank You for being patient with us and for promising us your peace.

This meatloaf is really good!

I asked my husband what spiritual applications I could extract from meat loaf.  Neither of us could come up with anything!  Oh well...

Last week I had to decide what to make for lunch...for our church.  (We meet in homes, and the hostess usually prepares lunch for the rest.)  I like to vary the menu, and finally settled on meat loaf.  My husband said it was a good idea, but...make sure it's not too dry.  He was remembering meat loafs I had made ages ago with ground chicken, which is a very dry meat.  So I chose different meats...and a different recipe.  On Sunday, when my husband tasted it, he looked over at me, surprise on his face, and said, "This is good!"

I had made it with 3 parts ground pork to one part ground veal.  The combination was great.  I thought some of you might be interested in the recipe, so here it is.

Meat Loaf Florentine

Just mix all these ingredients together well - with your (clean) hands is best; squish them around together like you used to with Playdough or mud when you were little!

- 1 10-oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (or briefly cook, then chop, 4-6             cups of fresh spinach)
                 (or use half spinach, half kale)
- 2 beaten eggs (3 if small)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs (approximately)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds ground meat (can be a mixture; I used pork and veal)

Put the mixture nicely into a greased pan (I prefer square or rectangular, but I'm sure a loaf pan would be fine), and squeeze some ketchup over the top (you can "doodle" designs - they'll get messed up as it cooks, but it's sort of fun!)  Bake at about 350 degrees, for approximately 1 1/2 hours. (A lot depends on what shape pan you use.  Also, electric stoves tend to cook faster than gas stoves, I've read, and things cook more quickly in glass than in metal.)  By the way, the photo isn't original.  It was just the only one I could find that looked similar!
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I Corinthians 10:31 says, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (Even making meat loaf!)  When those of us who are in charge of the kitchen look for nutritious, attractive, colorful meals, it is usually because we love our family members and want to do what we can to keep them un-bored and healthy, right?  We can do this "for the glory of God"!

Yes, food is important...but even more so is food for our spirits.  The Son of God, the "Bread of life",  said, "Just as the living Father sent Me and I am alive because of the Father...
                                         
                         "so the man who lives on Me will live because of Me..."
                                
                             "The man who eats this Bread will live forever." *
    
                                                                              --Jesus

(*John 6:57-58)

"Don't Leave Me!"...a poem with a promise

Jesus' disciples were heart-broken when He was killed. "What are we ever going to do without Him?"  They didn't understand until later, when they saw Him with their own eyes and remembered what He had said.

Not long after that, they were about to lose Him again!  Their best friend!  Did they once again think "What are we ever going to do without Him"?  He had promised them the Spirit, the Comforter, but I wonder if there was a part of the disciples' heart that knew they would miss Jesus as a person, as the Friend who had eaten, worked, prayed, wept and laughed with them.                                                                                                   ***************************

They may have remembered that God said to Joshua, "Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  (Joshua 1:9)   God told Moses He would be with him, and it was so important that Moses replied, "If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here." (Exodus 33:15)  But those words were said centuries before...and not by this Man who was their Teacher!  They needed to hear those words NOW...from Him.

What did He say personally to his disciples...his friends?  Let's read this poem, and see that what He said to his disciples He also says to us today...no matter what, no matter when, no matter where.


                                      DON'T LEAVE ME!

                    Sly hunter-eyes glowed, and I was their prey.
                    They saw me alone, saw me weaker than they;

                    seeking to siphon off all of my peace,
                    to gloat if they managed to make my joy cease;

                    stalking me, taunting, and circling 'round,
                    awaiting the moment for pulling me down.

                    Then, on heavenly steed, He raced up to my side:
                    royal Rider, his Name and his banner flown high!

                    The beasts froze...then uneasily snarled at the One
                    who with only his look left each creature undone.

                    They spun 'round then and scattered, unable to stay.
                    "Why?  Lion of Judah, why did they run away?"

                    "They take pride in their prowess and relish their game,
                    but when I appear, they all cringe at my Name.

                    "When they feel my Power, their bravado grows thin.
                    They know they can't have you; they know they can't win."

                     I hungrily grasped at the promise implied:
                     His Presence my refuge!  "Don't leave me!" I cried.

                      "Please stay with me, Lord; keep your banner unfurled!"
                      He said, "I'm with you always...to the end of the world!"
            
                                             ********************                                  -Becky Rhon

That's what He said to his disciples.  I suspect He also, on a human level, felt a little sadness at leaving these men who had been his closest friends and allies. He knew how they felt...it would be a challenge to continue the spreading of the Kingdom of God without his physical presence, but He promised them what He promises every person who claims Him as Savior and Lord:

     "And be sure of this - that I am with you always, even to the end of the world." *    
                                                     AMEN!
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*Matthew 28:20)