My mom has always said “this too shall pass” in response to any uncomfortable or undesireable circumstances I found myself facing.
“Mom, my boyfriend broke up with me!”
“This too shall pass.”
“Mom, I don’t understand why my best friend won’t talk to me!”
“This too shall pass.”
“Mom, I got caught speeding, and even though I pulled over in the church parking lot, that mean police officer gave me a ticket!”
“This too shall pass.”
I found very little comfort in those words way back when, and still today, they do little more than warrant a shoulder shrug and sigh from me. I want instant gratification – an instant “all better” – a one-size-fits-all Band-Aid laden with pain-numbing antibiotic.
I’ve come to realize, however, that the words my mom handed me so frequently, are true. Things DO pass. The heartbreak heals. The wounded friendships mend. The mean police officers, well, they get “less mean” in parallel to a growing understanding of the term “law obiding citizen.” Now that I have my own children coming to me with their uncomfortable or undesirable circumstances, I refrain from using those four little words. Instead, I remind them of The One who wants to carry their burdens – their worries – their heartbreaks for them: Jesus Christ.
Just as I had been given those words, this too shall pass, I had also been raised hearing that we should lay our burdens down at the foot of the cross.
“If something ails you, lay it at the foot of the cross.”
“If you’re heavy with guilt over something you’ve done, hand it over to Jesus.”
“If you feel lonely or frightened, give your cares to The Master.”
When I was a young girl, sitting a few pews back from Preacher Baumgartner in southeastern NC, I heard his messages loud and clear, but they kind of scared me. I didn’t feel complelled, nor did I even understand what it meant, to lay down “my transgressions and sins” before the wooden cross. None-the-less, the seeds were planted, and in God’s perfect timing, He brought complete understanding of this to me. I don’t want my children to be afraid and to not understand about the freedom they can have in Jesus Christ by casting all of their worries and concerns to Him. “Cast ’em! Throw them hard and swiftly. Get rid of the heavy stuff that occupies your mind and weighs you down!” These are the action words I want my kids to know are theirs.
This is not just a “neat idea”….it’s Truth.
______________
“Lay ‘Em Down”
by NeedToBreathe
Come and let yourself in
Make good on a promise
To never hurt again
If you’re lost and lonely
Broken down
Bring all of your troubles
Come lay ’em downAll you sinners
And the weak at heart
All the helpless
On the boulevards
Wherever you are now
Whatever evil you’ve found
Bring all of your troubles
Come lay ’em downWe’re all tied to the same old failings
Finding shelter in things we know
We’re all dirty like corrupted small towns
We’ll bring our troubles
Bring our troubles
And lay ’em downAll you rich men
And the high above
All of those with
And without love
All you burdened
And broken down
Bring all of your troubles
Come lay ’em down
Come lay ’em down
Come lay ’em down
Come lay ’em down(Come lay ’em down) Come all you broken
(Come lay ’em down) Come all you helpless
(Come lay ’em down) Bring all your burdens
(Come lay ’em down) Just lay ’em down
(Come lay ’em down) Come all you broken
(Come lay ’em down) Come all you helpless
(Come lay ’em down) Bring all your troubles
(Come lay ’em down) Come lay ’em downCome lay ’em down
Come lay ’em down
Come lay ’em down
the toenail 