I have a question for you....It may be something someone else has struggled with and God has given a word of wisdom to about.
I tithe regularly even though I could use the money, do not engage in dishonesty, and struggle to remain honest before God and man. I have had some financial struggles and recently, my car broke down. I call out to the Lord to enlarge my territory, but it seems like I still have to take care of it...by borrowing money, etc. Now, my sister in law is a very dishonest person. Her and her husband, who is basically a klepto who steals from his jobs if whatever it is isn't nailed down seem to always have enough money to blow on drugs and gambling. They are also "lucky"...won $4,000 recently and just recieved a settlement which is, as we speak, going into the machines in Las Vegas. Now my struggle is this, if you can't already figure it out- why do they have so much and just throw it away, yet when I have a need, such as the car, I have to borrow money? (Praise God, though, that He provided the mechanic next door to fix the car- I bought the part)So I can get to work? We have no money because we lent it to another sister to pick up a car that was impounded. Then, there was no work for my wife. It is hard for me to ask for money from the Lord and I don't really expect it anyway, to be honest...it is too hard to be disapointed. Also, the truth is, I really feel we have alot in comparison to the rest of the world. My "needs" tend to be in actuality, wants. I have really been struggling with sinful envy today....it doesn't seem fair. Yet, a part of me, the better part, knows I am blessed. Have you struggled with these issues? What did God speak to you concerning them?

Blyth,

The Lord laid you hard on my heart last nite, to hold you up in Prayer!!! So as I read your post, although I have no Word for you, I'm telling you He sees and is holding you by the Hand! It's after 9:00am here and I just saw this, so before you speak He is already dealing with it!!! He is constantly speaking to Hearts and surrounding you with support unseen!!! Be patient for that good fruit to appear!!!

HIS LOVE LIFT YOU TO A HIGHER PLACE,
ROSE

Thank you, Rose. WOW- prayer is a strong thing! One thing I did not want to get caught up in is the sin of envy, so I am truly grateful for your prayer and support. My wife DOES have a current position with her temp company that pays well, so that is part of the answer and the territory expanded, but....it is only temporary. I hope it will turn into something better. Thank you for being willing to pray for me...I appreciate it. I need it. It means the world to me that the Lord hears what I have to say. I am also grateful that I have a God that I can speak my heart to....really open up to.

Kimmie sent this to me....it's pretty good.....

The Burden

"Why was my burden so heavy?" I slammed the bedroom door and leaned against it. Is there no rest from this life? I wondered. I stumbled to my bed and dropped onto it, pressing my pillow around my ears to shut out the noise of my existence. "Oh God," I cried, "let me sleep. Let me sleep forever and never wake up!" With a deep sob I tried to will myself into oblivion, then welcomed the blackness that came over me.

Light surrounded me as I regained consciousness. I focused on its source: the figure of a man standing before a cross....


"My child," the person asked, "why did you want to come to Me before I am ready to call you?"

"Lord, I'm sorry. It's just that... I can't go on. You see how hard it is for me. Look at this awful burden. I simply can't carry it anymore."

"But haven't I told you to cast all of your burdens upon Me,
because I care for you? My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

"I knew You would say that. But why does mine have to be so heavy?"

"My child, everyone in the world has a burden. Perhaps you would like to try a different one?"

"I can do that?" (Matthew 11:28)

He pointed to several burdens lying at His feet. "You may try any of
these." All of them seemed to be of equal size. But each was labeled with a name.

"There's Joan's," I said. Joan was married to a wealthy businessman. She lived in a sprawling estate and dressed her three daughters in the prettiest designer clothes. Sometimes she drove me to church in her Cadillac when my car was broken.

"Let me try that one." How difficult could her burden be..? I thought.

The Lord removed my burden and placed Joan's on my shoulders. I sank to my knees beneath its weight.

"Take it off!" I said. "What makes it so heavy?"

"Look inside." I untied the straps and opened the top. Inside was a figure of her Mother-in-law, and when I lifted it out, it began to speak.

"Joan, you'll never be good enough for my son," it began. "He never should have married you.
You're a terrible mother to my grandchildren..."

I quickly placed the figure back in the pack and withdrew another. I t was Donna, Joan's youngest daughter. Her head was bandaged from the surgery that had failed to resolve her epilepsy. A third figure was Joan's brother. Addicted to drugs, he had been convicted of killing a police officer. "I see why her burden is so heavy, Lord. But she's always smiling and helping others. I didn't realize..."

"Would you like to try another?" He asked quietly.

I tested several. Paula's felt heavy: She was raising four small boys without a father. Debra's did too: a childhood of sexual abuse and a marriage of emotional abuse. When I came to Ruth's burden, I didn't even try. I knew that inside I would find arthritis, old age, a demanding full-time job, and a beloved husband in a nursing home.

"They're all too heavy, Lord" I said. "Give back my own." As I lifted the familiar load once again, It seemed much lighter than the others.

"Lets look inside" He said. I turned away, holding it close. "That's not a good idea," I said.

"Why?"

"There's a lot of junk in there."

"Let Me see." The gentle thunder of His voice compelled me. Iopened my burden. He pulled out a brick. "Tell me about this one."

"Lord, You know. It's money. I know we don't suffer like people in some countries or even the homeless here in America. But we have no insurance, and when the kids get sick, we can't
always take them to the doctor. They've never been to a dentist. And I'm tired of dressing them in hand-me-downs."

"My child, I will supply all of your needs... and your children's. I've given them healthy bodies. I will teach them that expensive clothing doesn't make a person valuable in My sight." Then He lifted out the figure of a small boy. "And this?" He asked.

"Andrew..." I hung my head, ashamed to call my son a burden. "But, Lord, he's hyperactive. He's not quiet like the other two. He makes me so tired. He's always getting hurt, and sooner or later someone is bound to think I abuse him. I yell at him all the time. Someday I may really hurt him...."

"My child," He said, "if you will only trust Me, I will renew your strength; If you allow Me to fill you with My Spirit, I will give you patience." Then He took some pebbles from my burden.

"Yes, Lord," I said with a sigh. "Those are small. But they're important. I hate my hair. It's thin, and I can't make it look nice. I can't afford to go to the beauty shop. I'm overweight and can't stay on a diet. I hate all my clothes. I hate the way I look!"

"My child, people look at your outward appearance, but I look at your heart. By My Spirit you can gain self-control to lose weight. But your beauty should not come from outward appearance. Instead, it should come from your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in My sight."

My burden now seemed lighter than before. "I guess I can handle it now" I said.

"There is more," He said. "Hand Me that last brick."

"Oh, You don't have to take that. I can handle it."

"My child, give it to Me." Again His voice compelled me. He reached out His hand, and for the first time I saw the ugly wound.

"But, Lord, this brick is so awful, so nasty, Lord! What happened to Your hands? They're so scarred!" No longer focused on my burden, I looked for the first time into His face. In His brow were ragged scars-as though someone had pressed thorns into His flesh.

"Lord," I whispered. "What happened to You?" His loving eyes reached into my soul. "My child, you know. Hand Me the brick. It belongs to Me. I bought it."

"How?"

"With My blood."

"But why, Lord?"

"Because I have loved you with an everlasting love. Give it to Me."

I placed the filthy brick into His wounded palm. It contained all the dirt and evil of my life; my pride, my selfishness, the depression that constantly tormented me. He turned to the cross and hurled my brick into the pool of blood at its base. It hardly made a ripple.

"Now, My child, you need to go back. I will be with you always. When you are troubled, call to Me and I will help you and show you things you cannot imagine now."

"Yes, Lord, I will call on You." I reached to pick up my burden.

"You may leave that here if you wish. You see all these burdens? They are the ones that others have left at My feet. Joan's, Paula's, Debra's, Ruth's.....When you leave your burden here, I carry it with You. Remember, My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

As I placed my burden with Him, the light began to fade." (Jeremiah 33:3)

Yet I heard Him whisper, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you...."and peace flooded my soul. Amen. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

WOW! What a powerful story....and one of my life verses at the end of it. Thank you for sharing it. Did you write this?

Yeah I thought it was pretty cool too. I didn't write it, Kimmie sent it to me so you might ask her if she knows who wrote it. So how goes it?

Thank you Rio for posting this. Last night I couldn't sleep and was feeling sorry for myself because of some petty things that had happened - then I remembered the story that you had posted and felt ashamed. Started counting my blessings instead, and realised just how much I have tho be thankful for!

I find this story coming into my mind at different times since I have read it...a very POWERFUL story! It reminds me of the parables of the Lord...in fact, I feel like it was written by His Spirit.

Ahhh sometimes we read things they touch our hearts we forward them to our freinds but dont have the inability to retain them all>>I loved seeing this again thanks Rio,I think it was a Mountain Wings moment!