How to Carry a Heavy Burden

Will a pack animal help you carry a heavy burden?

Did you know a camel can carry between 200 and 600 pounds? An elephant can carry a quarter of its body weight. And the ant, my friend, carries up to 10-50 times its weight. Impressive, right?

Then there are cranes, designed to lift thousands of pounds that neither animal nor human can. At the Yantai Raffles Shipyard in China, the ‘Taisun’ crane lifted a forty-four-million-pound barge. Incredible!

But what kind of weights do we carry? A quick Google search reveals, “Everyone is carrying a heavy burden we know nothing about.”

What Do We Say When We’re Under Stress?

Here are some common phrases people use to express their stress:

• “I’m stretched thin.”
• “I’m at my wit’s end.”
• “Things are taking a toll on me.”
• “I’m cracking under this pressure.”
• “I can’t think straight.”
• “I’m swamped.”
• “I’m falling apart.”
• “My anxiety is through the roof.”
• “Everyone’s expectations are suffocating me.”
• “This is weighing me down.”
• “I’m dragging.”
• “My plate is full.”

Sound familiar? Stress visits us all at different times with varying intensities. For instance, we might be dealing with a traumatic event, grief, marital issues, work stress, illness—the list goes on. Even when we’re not trying to create problems, problems have a way of finding us. Difficulties crop up like weeds, affecting us emotionally, physically, financially, interpersonally, or spiritually.

How Do We Respond to the Load?

Our bodies react to stress. When we feel like we’re carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders, our body responds. Backs ache, heads hurt, shoulders tense, and stomachs churn. Exhaustion sinks in. So, what do we do?

Begin with the Basics

First and foremost, take care of yourself: sleep, exercise, drink water, and eat healthy. You know the basics, but are you ignoring them?

Moreover, do you need quiet time away from your stressful environment? Unfortunately, we can’t all jet off on a vacation, but we can take a walk, sit on a park bench and listen to the birds, or cozy up on the couch. (Or eat a pot of macaroni and cheese—sometimes comfort food helps, too). Temporary solace is vital and may be enough to get us through the day.

So, peel a carrot. Grab an apple. Go to the library and check out a book. Sit still.

Talk to a Friend

Furthermore, socializing releases calming hormones and positive feelings. Simply talking to someone can make us feel better, even if the problem doesn’t disappear.

The Answer to Our Stress

Am I telling you that getting back to the basics of a healthy lifestyle and talking to a friend will make everything better – like your fairy godmother showed up? No, but working on simple self-improvement (how about a glass of water?) and nurturing friendships is a start. Still, we need to dig deeper. Who created us? Yes, your parents, but I want you to go further. Do you believe you were created to be here?

“You created the deepest parts of my being. You put me together inside my mother’s body. How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well.” – Psalm 139:13-14 NIRV

Turn to Your Creator

Pray to Him about the burden you carry. “Turn all your worries over to Him. He cares about you.” –

1 Peter 5:7 NIRV

Eat, Pray, Repeat

Is that all there is to alleviating stress? No, but you’re on the right path. Pray and read the book—the Bible. God’s stories show us He is available. The verses tell us to give Him our heavy burdens. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 NIV

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” – Psalm 46:1 NIV

Eat, Pray, Read the Bible, and Now What?

Visualize your burden, your problem, your trouble, and see it as a heavy load. Now, use your imagination and see yourself handing it to Jesus. He’s waiting for us to hand our burdens over to Him. Thank Him. Finally, go out and face the day. Repeat the process every day. Answers will come, but the timing is not ours to know.

Who Is Going to Carry Your Load?

My husband and I visited a scrap metal yard one day in search of a particular piece of metal. After explaining to the manager what we were looking for, he asked us to wait for a minute. He then climbed onto a small crane, hooked the boom onto a mini-bus, and lifted it out of the way. It looked as easy as lifting a cotton ball in your hand. He then pointed us to the area where we could hunt down the right piece of metal for our project.

The scrap metal yard is a lesson I’ve repeated in my mind: think about how God moves things that are huge and heavy to us but light and easy for Him. We give Him our time, trust, and efforts while we wait for everything to clear.

Which Animal Would You Choose?

Animals aren’t created to solve our problems (although their presence does relieve stress), but if we could choose one—camel, elephant, or ant—which would you choose?

My bet’s on the ant.