This staff member, a woman, came in to work very stressed up, She is someone who loves to help people and take on their burdens but was feeling overwhelmed and shared her great struggle at coping with other people's problems, with friend.
My friend responded (and he felt he need to be bold and step out of his own comfort zone) and so said to her: "I think I can see what God is doing here."
He continued "You are a wonderfully compassionate person who feels for peoples in their problems and loves to take their burdens, but that's only half the story......"
The woman listened up.
"You see," my friend continued, "God has made you this way so you can pass the burdens onto him. Then you can be free again and not weighed down by them. If you learn to pass burdens on to God you will be much more fulfilled and you will be able to listen to other people's burdens and not be squashed by them."
So she asked my Doctor friend 'how do you pass on your burdens'. He then just told her how he dealt with similar situations himself:
"One thing I do to remind me that God is with me is to hold Jesus hand. I can't see him , but I hold his hand."
This clearly intrigued the lady and she felt that she could trust my friend with what was really bothering her the most....
She then went on to explain that there was a major conflict between her mother and brother and that she was going to the family home over the weekend. Here, she knew that she wanted to help resolve the conflict but would just end up receiving 'flack' from her mother. My friend then took one step further in the conversation and told her that Jesus had died for her so he could take the 'flack'. He then suggested that she need only hold his hand and pass the flack straight on to him. The lady left for the weekend and headed off to see her family...
She came back after they weekend and said that she had indeed 'held Jesus' hand'. She found that she was able to talk to her mother with wisdom that she never normally had and was able to challenge her and found her mother asking advice as to what to do to resolve to conflict with her son. Holding Jesus hand gave this lady both courage and wisdom and she knew something had happened. She reported back how she had said silently..
"if any flack comes its not mine.... its yours" as she held Jesus hand.
The conversation with her mother produced reconciliation in the family the very next day. She came in and told my friend all about it and how she felt 'so much lighter' as she lifted her hands and waved them around in the air as if to demonstrate.
She then went to two other staff in the surgery, both pre-Christian and proceeded to tell them about 'holding Jesus hand' and passing the 'flack' on to him. She enthusiastically explained how effective it was in helping her family relationships!
Martin's comment
Wow I love that story. I love it because my friend is helping a work colleague discover that the Kingdom of God is near!
He positively affirmed who she was: made in Gods' imagine to do certain things, but could not be effective and fulfilled until she connected with God. He even got something about the Cross of Christ communicated in a simple and effective way. Now that's what I call the start of discipleship!
He helped someone to see and experience that the Kingdom of God is near.
I have to say I thought the image of holding Jesus' hand might just be helpful to me in my walk with God too!
Hey if that story encouraged you, let me know.
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