Heavy Burdens

<p>Have you ever had an ache or pain that wouldn’t go away? It can be utterly exhausting—physically, mentally, and emotionally.</p><p>.</p><p>I experienced this when I was pregnant with my son. Especially in the last few months of pregnancy, my belly was HUGE. It was so big that people wouldn’t believe me when I told them I still had a couple months until my due date, and they would often ask if I was having twins. When my son was born weighing just shy of ten pounds, nobody was surprised.</p><p>.</p><p>Those last few months of pregnancy were miserable. Pain constantly shot through my back and legs from supporting the weight of my gigantic belly. No matter how I stood or sat or laid down, I was always uncomfortable. And I was tired of it.</p><p>.</p><p>One day, in the midst of this pain and exhaustion, my husband and I went on a mini-getaway and decided to go swimming in the pool. The water was cold, but I gave it a try anyway.</p><p>.</p><p>And as I slowly stepped down into the pool, I felt relief seep through my body for the first time in months. The water lifted the weight of my belly, and the pressure on my back eased. I took a step, and no pain ran through my leg. Standing in the cold water, I nearly cried with relief.</p><p>.</p><p>For about an hour, I paced back and forth in that small pool, the weight of my belly finally lifted. And I felt Jesus walking alongside me, carrying my burden of pain and exhaustion. I felt His arms around me, holding the weight I had been carrying for so long. He reminded me that I can trust Him with any burden. He knew my pain (in fact, I had told Him about it several times over the past few months, often quite loudly). And He wanted me to give Him my burdens.</p><p>.</p><p>I’ve known for a long time that I can give my burdens to Jesus. But when I walked in the pool, I felt that truth in my very body. He was with me in my pain, offering hope and comfort and strength. I needed to be reminded of that, and Jesus graciously met my need.</p><p>.</p><p>No matter what burden you are c