I woke up this morning with a light heart. I was full of joy and thanksgiving. That doesn’t happen every morning.

The last couple of weeks have been full. I focused on some projects and deliberately set aside some time to catch up with friends. Each conversation has had a sense of urgency. We don’t see each other often, so time flies by when we get together. We can’t waste much of it on chit-chat.

Take a load off

Old friends tend to jump right into the deep end. I’ve heard about cancer, broken relationships, financial hardships, disappointments, and tragic loss. I’ve listened to dreams and the anxious thoughts that go with following them.

I took on some weight. So even though I shared some of what I was carrying, you would think I’d feel weighed down. I’m not a sadist who rejoices in others’ pain, so what’s the deal with this light heart I have this morning?

With thanksgiving

I love the Apostle Paul’s prescription for anxious thoughts in Philippians 4. Be anxious for nothing. Tell God your request. And thank him.

Prayer changes everything, even when it seems to change nothing. That’s a paraphrase of something one of my friends used this week when caught up.

God answers prayer. His answer often changes our circumstances. We get the miracle we’ve asked for. But sometimes our situation stays the same even after we pray with thanksgiving. God answers, but not in the way we imagined when we asked.

The specific answer to prayer is not what changes our hearts. Our load lightens when we share it. With God. And with others. We see the hope. And we find peace. The change may take time, but it happens.

I love Eugene Peterson’s take on Paul’s advice in The Message Bible:

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

PHILLIPPIANS 4:4-7 (THE MESSAGE)

I left some heavy conversations feeling light this week because when my friends and I spoke our burdens, callings, and even our fears aloud to each other, we experienced confessional community. We agreed with God and each other about our circumstances. And, even though the illness or loss may have remained, a sense of God’s goodness and wholeness filled us with peace. Our faith, hope, and trust grew.

You might say that anxious thoughts shared with prayer and thanksgiving became thankxious peace. Okay, maybe you wouldn’t say that. But I like to make up words, so I did say it.

Come Alongside

Today, I’m thankful for confessional community. Today, I’m grateful that time in confessional community helped me see God’s goodness and to give him thanks.

Will you share the load you carry today with a friend? Will you listen as a friend shares hers? And will you carry your loads to Jesus, giving thanks that he is ready, willing, and able to bear them?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you shared a load and found yourself giving thanks? Do you struggle with sharing your load? Comment here or on Facebook, and let’s grapple with gratitude together.

Traveling in Grace,

Christi