 “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. 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 Sisters, I am weary. Are you? I have a difficult person in my life and at times, the challenges I face with this particular relationship seep into every single other aspect of my life. Everything is affected, and the burden feels incredibly heavy. Unbearable even, in those weakest moments. I have been having a lot of those moments lately. But last week, as we celebrated our risen Savior on Easter, I was reminded about where my hope comes from. During worship, the mood in the auditorium was joyous, victorious, and grateful, and slowly I felt my heart filling up with those things, too. Truthfully, I came to the cross this Easter out of a sense of duty - I just wasn’t feeling it. Life is full and sometimes hard and I wasn’t making room for Jesus, and let me just tell you how well that was going. It wasn’t. So on Easter morning, I was sitting in my seat thinking about the prep I needed to do for our meal and still a little mad about having to force my children into their dress clothes. As the music started, I tried to find those Easter feelings, and they just weren’t there. I couldn’t find the joy, and I certainly wasn’t in the mood to celebrate anything. The weight of the burdens I have been carrying had left me too weary for any of that. And so I just sat, and tried to turn off my brain, and wait. The Eastery feelings weren’t there, but do you know who was? Jesus. Jesus walked out of that tomb, and straight to my seat. He came to me with arms outstretched, and as I let the music take hold, I realized something. Because of Jesus, there is hope. There is hope for that difficult relationship. There is hope for resolution for any challenge that I face, big or small. Because I have my faith, because I believe that God is the way, the truth, and the life, there is always hope. There is also rest, and there is a promise that we do not have to shoulder our burdens alone. Jesus rose, so that we can rise, too. With this knowing in my heart, I found my Easter feelings. It’s not magic - my challenging relationship is still challenging, and it probably will be until God sees fit to mend it. This is still a difficult season, and I am still weary. BUT, it is not a weariness without hope. I trust my God, and I know I am not alone. Sisters, you are not alone, either. Jesus walked out of that tomb and straight to wherever you are, with His arms outstretched. He wants to share your burdens and offer you refuge. All you have to do is let Him. How beautiful is that?! I really cannot imagine a life without the hope that God has promised us, and I am so very thankful that I don’t have to. The hope I have through my faith has sustained me over and over again, and encouraged me to press on when the load gets heavy, as it is now. God often reaches me through music - and so I am sharing a few favorite songs which speak hope and encouragement to me when I don’t have the strength to do anything else but listen. Amazing Grace Jesus Paid It All Behold (Then Sings My Soul) Great Are You Lord  Erin Jones McIntosh Erin is an administrator, freelance writer, photographer, and former single mom. She contributes regularly to HERLIFE Magazine and KC Parent Magazine. She has been a mommy blogger (Single Mom REVEALED, This Heart and Mind, and Life and the Outcome) for many years, focusing on providing an authentic depiction of life as a single mom. She is also currently working on her first book - part memoir and part single parenting survival guide.
Erin is married now, but after over 10 years on her own, she will always have a heart for the mamas going it solo. It is a privilege to walk alongside and equip single moms to not just survive, but to THRIVE.
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