"The Yoke"

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Engaging in God's Word is such a daily comfort, isn’t it? Just laying my eyes upon something can trigger a thought and flood my mind with a bible verse. I believe that is the Holy Spirit priming me to engage the Word.

For instance, there’s a pink lanyard from my surgery still ‘junking’ up my bathroom. First, I thought… “Why don’t I throw that away?!” Then, I thought of the word “YOKE” which reminded me of this Bible verse from Matthew (see above). So, it’s probably something the Holy Spirit is prompting me to write about since I haven’t shared much of my story this year and how God has been working.

I plowed through some ‘heavy happenings’ being diagnosed with breast cancer at my first mammogram at age 40. This physical “yoke” (the pink lanyard) I placed around my neck post-surgery to help hold up the cumbersome drainage tubes & bulbs used to collect fluid near my bilateral mastectomy incisions. Recovery was not an easy chore for me. I bore this yoke in the shower, in bed and in my recliner when I was seeking rest during recovery. It was a constant reminder of my humanity and weakness.

OH, but the comfort of Christ. The recovery and weight of this life transforming diagnosis is so much to contemplate. Certainly, it was a heavy yoke mentally not only for me but our entire family. Although, this was absolutely a detour and burden, it pointed me to engage the Word deeper, which always reveals promises we can rest on and our burden is lifted.

There was so much light in the darkness of this diagnosis. One moment was prior to surgery, in the prep room, I was broken. I was crushed. I was weak in heart, spirit and mind. My amazingly loving husband who is my earthly rock couldn’t fix this for me. My mom and mother-in-law who would do anything for me were at my side, too. The room’s mood was heavy and between idle chitchat and waiting for the procedure to start… it was too much to rely on my own strength and was wearing on me like a dreaded thick fog in unknown territory.

Thankfully, I had packed the right gear that morning! God’s Words! I had received so many beautiful encouraging cards BURSTING with handwritten bible verses and prayers from my dear bible class sisters, friends and family. (This was the best thing I packed in my hospital overnight bag! I packed ALL of them in a Ziploc baggie!) I realized I was weak because I wasn’t ‘prayed up’ and filled with the Word that morning! The Holy Spirit prompted me to start reading all of the written verses aloud, card after card, and verse after verse. Reading and hearing the scriptures lifted my yoke in that moment!

The intense atmosphere of a room filled with fear transformed into a room illuminated with faith, protection, wisdom, strength, courage and love. There was truth, promises and possibilities from our One True God. And, one of my favorite parts of this story… my surgeon held hands with me and PRAYED with all four of us in the prep room.

God’s POWER was revealed in that room and immediately gave me the courage to walk confidently into that surgery room and lie down on that operating table and absolutely have no doubt… God’s got this! Later, my mother-in-law mentioned to me they were there to comfort me in the prep room but by me reading the verses out loud I comforted them. But, I was just reading… it was God’s Word comforting all of us.

This world can be a big scary place filled with heavy seemingly hopeless things like an affliction that magnifies our humanity. When we are facing the sucker punches of life, no human words suffice… it’s all idle chitchat. BUT, God’s Word transforms.

It has been a year of long walks and Jesus talks, the Word and lots and lots of prayer. Knowing His yoke is easy & His burden is light. It’s renewing and transforming.

Refuse to focus on your earthly situation and engage in the possibilities you have through Christ!