Lay it down

There are so many struggles in the lives and hearts of people I love today.  So many things on my mind.  About parenting, about loss, about responsibility.  About friendship, about work, about identity, and who I want to be in this life.  Life continues to get more complex, more deep, more involved with each new day that I experience.  Sometimes, I feel so overwhelmed in my thoughts, that I'm not sure what to do with them.  And in my life these days, there isn't a lot of time to figure out what to do with them.  Sometimes I write.  Sometimes I pray.  Sometimes I talk.  Sometimes I dance.  Sometimes I cry.  Most of the time, I distract myself with something else, which is the least successful strategy.  But each day, I'm learning as I go.  Learning more about about how to cope.  How I cope.  And how others cope.  I'm a person of faith.  I believe in God.  And I believe, as they say, that He won't give us more than we can handle.  More weight, more burden, more heartache.

That being said, some people are carrying huge friggin' loads.  And it sure can't be good for their backs.

Today this thought came to me.  If we want some relief from those burdens... if we want help to make it through... no matter what we believe... we've got to lay them down first.

Before we drown under the sea of confusion, get crushed under the weight of sorrow, or get burned by the heat of exhaustion... we have to lay it all down.   Before God, before a therapist, before your best friend, on your yoga mat.  Before your mom, before your neighbor, before your husband, on a hike in the gracious company of the natural world.

As long as you are safe in the process, it doesn't matter much where you put it.  But don't hold on.  You have to lay it down.

When you're lost in life, and don't know what to do next.  When you're not sure who you are or where you're going:  Lay it down.

When you're suffering under an immobilizing, black cloud of guilt or shame for choices you've made in the past:  Lay it down.  

When your beloved family member or friend is sick, facing surgery/treatment, or fading away:  Lay it down.

When you're devastated by loss and can't get your heart to stop reeling from the pain:  Lay it down.

When you're missing your best friend so much that you are sick from the separation - tell him/her.  Lay it down.

When the fear of making a million mistakes in parenting strangles you, and you don't know if you'll ever breathe deeply again:  Lay it down.

When depression creeps in and holds you underwater while the waves keep crashing overhead:  Lay it down.

When major disappointment strikes, and you don't know if you'll be able to recover:  Lay it down.

When you've been abused or treated as anything less than you are:  Lay it down.

When you look in the mirror, and don't like what you see there... When you feel like you're not worthy of happiness or good things or that you have nothing to contribute to this world - this is a lie.  Lay it down.

Anything that you NEED to pick up again at some point, will still be there.  Give yourself a break... don't hold on.  Be gentle with your heart.  Set aside your fears and your pride.  Ask for help.

Lay it down, and let someone/something else carry it for a while.