It's Not Your Rock
That good old Mary/Martha book was fantastic, yet again. As I was reading it in the doctor's office, just crying away, God was speaking to me.
The author got permission to share this story that someone else wrote. It goes something like this:
God came up to a man and asked him if he would mind doing something for Him. The man was so happy to do something nice for God. He loved God so much and was thrilled to be in charge of this task. God asked him to pull a wagon with 3 stones in it up to the top of the mountain. The man was ecstatic to be on a mission for God. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and there was a skip in his step as he happily pulled the wagon. When he stopped for lunch along the way, he saw a friend who needed to take a stone to the top of the mountain, and asked if he could take it up for him. Certainly, said the man, he was going there anyway. After his dinner stop, a different friend had a bag of pebbles that needed to go to the top of the mountain and that was added to the man's wagon. And so on, and so on.
Meanwhile, the man's wagon was so full, he could barely pull it. He was sore, he was tired, and he was grumpy. When God came along to see how he was doing, the man was so angry God would make him feel this way. God said He would never give the man more than he could handle and said the 3 stones were all he was responsible for. God took everything but the three stones out of the wagon, the man comfortably, easily pulled it the rest of the way up the mountain, praising God for his task.
Cut to me waiting for my doctor crying like an idiot. My wagon is full of being Michael's wife, being Kara's mother and educator, working on a few teams at church, and being a good friend to Stephanie (who is the best friend I have ever had). I am comfortable with those things. In fact, I'm utterly thrilled with my life. That wagon is bliss to me. I can handle all of those things, I do them well most of the time, and they keep me growing.
Because I don't know how to tell someone, "even though I'm going to the top of that mountain, I can't add your stone to my wagon and pull yours for you. Sorry," I say "sure I can help!" and my wagon becomes too full to bear. People pleasing is not Biblical. But, I have a hard time saying no when there is a need.
So I'm going to practice. And when it's hard, I'll remember what my friend told me to think of when I think of that story - "It's not your rock." I have my wagon/stones/rocks, they have theirs. My wagon is full with God's plan. And it's not that I'm weak because I can't do more, I'm a good and faithful servant doing my tasks well.
The author got permission to share this story that someone else wrote. It goes something like this:
God came up to a man and asked him if he would mind doing something for Him. The man was so happy to do something nice for God. He loved God so much and was thrilled to be in charge of this task. God asked him to pull a wagon with 3 stones in it up to the top of the mountain. The man was ecstatic to be on a mission for God. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and there was a skip in his step as he happily pulled the wagon. When he stopped for lunch along the way, he saw a friend who needed to take a stone to the top of the mountain, and asked if he could take it up for him. Certainly, said the man, he was going there anyway. After his dinner stop, a different friend had a bag of pebbles that needed to go to the top of the mountain and that was added to the man's wagon. And so on, and so on.
Meanwhile, the man's wagon was so full, he could barely pull it. He was sore, he was tired, and he was grumpy. When God came along to see how he was doing, the man was so angry God would make him feel this way. God said He would never give the man more than he could handle and said the 3 stones were all he was responsible for. God took everything but the three stones out of the wagon, the man comfortably, easily pulled it the rest of the way up the mountain, praising God for his task.
Cut to me waiting for my doctor crying like an idiot. My wagon is full of being Michael's wife, being Kara's mother and educator, working on a few teams at church, and being a good friend to Stephanie (who is the best friend I have ever had). I am comfortable with those things. In fact, I'm utterly thrilled with my life. That wagon is bliss to me. I can handle all of those things, I do them well most of the time, and they keep me growing.
Because I don't know how to tell someone, "even though I'm going to the top of that mountain, I can't add your stone to my wagon and pull yours for you. Sorry," I say "sure I can help!" and my wagon becomes too full to bear. People pleasing is not Biblical. But, I have a hard time saying no when there is a need.
So I'm going to practice. And when it's hard, I'll remember what my friend told me to think of when I think of that story - "It's not your rock." I have my wagon/stones/rocks, they have theirs. My wagon is full with God's plan. And it's not that I'm weak because I can't do more, I'm a good and faithful servant doing my tasks well.
Comments
I shouldn't take more on that God gave me (which includes a lot of helping others, serving others, and giving to others) because I am depriving others of helping, serving, giving.
And that big toe needs to be the big toe. Step up, big toe. :-)