I Gotta Confess

I gotta confess that the first and second readings don't do a whole lot for me this week. The first reading is from the prophet Zechariah and he praises God and says that the savior is going to bring peace.  Okay, I get that, it isn't really that much of a revelation, is it? Then we move to Romans. I don't think Paul liked the Romans too much because this epistle for me is one of the hardest to understand.    I think I just need some...

The first part of the Gospel reading whizzed into my right ear and exited through the left without making much of an impression today.  Oh, I understand that the wisdom of the Gospel is understood by those you would not think that could understand it.  I've heard this before, been there, done that, bought the tee-shirt.  But when Jesus says: 

"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am meek and humble of heart;

and you will find rest for yourselves. 

For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

I know he's talking to me! I labor, I am burdened and yes, I need some rest. Every day brings its crop of problems, issues, cranky customers, bent and broken things, computer crashes, and there are days when the only thing that goes right is when you get into bed at night and do not fall out! 

What Jesus is telling us here is not that all of the things that drive us crazy will go away once we believe in Him, no, only if it were that simple. He reminds us that He knows what it is like because he has been here and experienced everything in life, except sin.  What he is doing is inviting us to come to Him and unburden ourselves, tell Him about your day, tell Him what went wrong, what went right.  Share with Him your thoughts and plans.  He will listen and your spirit will find rest in Him and you will be better able to take on the nasty surprises that seem to occur when you really do not need another surprise!   Give your spirit some rest and your body will be in better shape to live life on life's terms.