Not My Bucket

Do you ever feel weighted down - but when you look around there is nothing on your shoulders, your hands are empty, no visible ball and chain on your ankles- Yet, you know the weight is there.  At times, it can be suffocating.  What is it that you are carrying around ? Where does the weight come from? and most importantly - how can you rid yourself of it ?

Just the other day, as I was in a "morning catchup call" with a bestie, I was describing a dilemma.  I knew I was about to make a decision and I was concerned about someone else's reaction to my decision.  My friend said, "Ivey, this is not your bucket to carry." Wow! Such wisdom at 755am and had not even made it to work yet !  This picture resonated with me - How many unnecessary buckets am I toting around ? Have these buckets been given to me by God - or have I chosen to carry them? Can i drop them or hand them over ?

So fast forward a week or two - the 7:55 am wisdom has stayed with me and I have been peering into each bucket. The awareness has been freeing.  I am desiring to turn them over to my loving God - but the releasing is as exhausting as the carrying- at times more exhausting that holding a tight grip.

A bucket of a broken relationship with a parent that I cannot heal - HEAVY!  I have been carrying it for years. Coming to know peace on my side and in my heart - extending forgiveness - loving the best way I can - and waiting on God's timing. Passing the bucket - stop the prodding, shame , worry, guilt - handing it over for good.  Trust the Lord's love for me - He knows my heart. I crave to experience His abundant love as a Father to me. The outcome and situation are not within my reach - He will gladly carry my bucket of burden.  With constant prayers let your heart be known and let God take it.

A bucket filled to the rim with questions and concerns about the future: my kids, my job, my health, my marriage, this crazy sinful world, the thousands of "what ifs" - 

    "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His     righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Matthew 6:33-34

We cannot live life in the "what ifs"- God desires us to live FULLY in the present and FULLy for Him.  This bucket is my heaviest - and darkest at times.  I seem to pick it up at some point everyday.  Somedays it feels more like shackles - stealing my freedom.  But I have been called to LIVE out the truth God has shown me in His Word and through His followers.  You see, God shows us the truth - we ingest the truth- but the ACTION - the doing - the handing over of the buckets- the choosing to LIVE in the TRUTH - that is His sweet spot. A resting place for HIs love to be lived out through His creation.  If we are carrying buckets- we are not available to love Him fully or others fully. 

So What does He want us to carry ? Carry His word in our hearts.  Carry His love to the lost and broken..  Carry the burden of loving others so well - that God is irresistible to them.  Carry His light - Experience the freedom God so desires for us - His children.  

One by one - let your buckets drop - settle in to the sweet spot of God's love & grace He has for you.