So often we find ourselves in situations we feel are beyond anything we can handle. People will tell you, “God won’t give you more than you can handle”. You want to just slap them in the face when they say that, right? You want to say, “Well why don’t you take some of my burdens and bear them?!” Tired of wondering why we’ve been piled high with the weight of the world on our shoulders for so long, we grow weary. We lose sight of our Helper, lose sight of the shore. Our faith takes a major blow and we fall apart, sink. What if, instead of losing hope, instead of being angry or bitter about our circumstance, we change our perspective to one of, “What is this trying to teach me? What is it that I’m in need of learning from all this?” Because, essentially, that is why we go through such trials, right? To learn and grow stronger. Maybe it’s to learn how to fully depend on the One who can take our burdens away. FULLY DEPEND. Release what you can’t control yourself. Maybe it’s to learn how to better practice patience; how to breathe through the season of pain, acknowledging the weight of it but not dwelling on it. Or maybe it’s to learn how to rest. How to “handle” things, how to close our eyes, breathe, accept what we can’t change, be thankful for what we have.

I know I’ve found that practicing Gratitude hundreds of times a day helped counteract all the negativity and stressful things I was feeling. Every time your mind goes to dwell on a current problem, acknowledge the feeling and follow it with something you’re thankful for. “My husband is out of work, I don’t know how we’re going to make it financially, BUT I’m thankful we were able to eat today.” Take a minute to focus on the way the food made you feel. Be thankful that it was tasty and filling.

It’s not up to us to have all the answers, or even a handful of answers sometimes. I’m not saying we should stop seeking an answer but instead of asking in a demanding way, we can ask in the form of needing guidance. Our Creator wants us to ask for help! We aren’t meant to bear all these burdens by ourselves. Humble yourself. Open your clinched fists that demand answers and free what you’re holding onto in order to receive peace, relief, hope and, yes, maybe even the answer to your struggles.