October is finally here, and I boldly declare fall to be my favorite season. It feels like a refresh and a reminder to slow down, both of which I need right now. I have been enjoying the cooler mornings, wrapping up in a blanket while it is still dark out and lingering over my pumpkin-spiced coffee. It’s in these minutes I reach for my Bible, being intentional about my time with God rather than reaching for my phone for distraction. The burdens of eight months of a global pandemic continue to pop up, my workload has increased, and I’m not able to accomplish all I had hoped to at this point in the year. I feel guilty, overwhelmed, and stressed. It feels like this ‘balance’ everyone speaks of is a mysterious dark object, always outside of my grasp. This anxiety feels like a heavy burden on my shoulders, and I know committing to time in the Word is more important now than ever.
“If you continue in my Word, you really are My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
I randomly opened my Bible to John 8 a few mornings ago, to a page I had already highlighted and filled with notes. It’s comforting to come back to a page that has already helped you in the past, isn’t it? A scribbled note read, “There is grace even for this.” I start to list off each reason of guilt in my head: I haven’t responded to that email yet; I have been meaning to text a friend for a walk on the greenbelt; That pile of papers to file keeps getting shuffled around the house. After each sentence I repeat my scribble, “There is grace even for this.” I felt the heaviness on my chest begin to dissipate. Whether big or small, God’s grace is my defense. If I continue to carry these burdens on my back, I will fall. God is quietly whispering to me in these mornings that I do not need to worry about today or tomorrow. God can take these burdens from me, and I can stand up straight, leaning on His Word to be my strength.
Pray with me...
Oh God, thank you for setting me free from the burdens I carry. There is grace because You are perfectly just and merciful. My spirit is more alive than ever in You. Help me to not worry about tomorrow, but instead focus on remaining in Your light today. In Your name, I pray.
Brooke Freiheit
Office Administrator
Luther Heights Bible Camp, Boise, ID