Weary and Burdened

 

This is Shrek the sheep. He became famous several years ago when he was found after hiding out in caves for six years. Of course, during this time his fleece grew without anyone there to shorn (shave) it. When he was finally found and shave...d, his fleece weighed an amazing sixty pounds. Most sheep have a fleece weighing just under ten pounds, with the exception usually reaching fifteen pounds, maximum. For six years, Shrek carried six times the regular weight of his fleece. Simply because he was away from his shepherd.

This reminds me of John 10 when Jesus compares Himself to a shepherd, and His followers are His sheep. Maybe it’s a stretch, but I think Shrek is much like a person who knows Jesus Christ but has wandered. If we avoid Christ’s constant refining of our character, we’re going to accumulate extra weight in this world—a weight we don’t have to bear.

When Shrek was found, a professional sheep shearer took care of Shrek’s fleece in twenty-eight minutes. Shrek’s sixty pound fleece was finally removed. All it took was coming home to his shepherd.

I believe Christ can lift the burdens we carry, if only we stop hiding. He can shave off our ‘fleece’—that is, our self-imposed burdens brought about by wandering from our Good Shepherd.

“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
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This was something that a friend shared on Facebook - and it really encouraged me. The last few days have been really tough ones. Chemo might be behind me but - the effects from it are with me still and will continue to be with me for a while. It will take months - maybe even a year before my hair is back to normal. So while I am thrilled that the chemo part of this journey is behind me- I am still carrying a lot of burdens. And I am trying really hard to come to a place of laying the burdens down at Jesus' feet. But every day I am bombarded with the fact -that I don't have hair - and all the deciding points that I have to remember- what should I wear- what hat will I have to wear with what ever I choose to wear. I know they may not seem like tough questions to you but they are to me. And with our temperatures here getting warmer and warmer - it is getting harder and harder to wear a hat - that hats really do trap a lot of heat on my head. I have to take off the hat and wipe off the sweat from time to time when I am out in the hot temps - of in the upper 80's and the 90's. Yep - it's already getting that warm here- and will continue to rise.

 

Anyway I am struggling with some other questions and concerns and trying to wrap my mind around these things. So that is why it has been so quiet from me.

 

Please continue to pray for me. I really do appreciate it. :O)