The term "pull your weight” refers to you doing your fair share of work that a group of people is doing together: If the person doesn't start pulling his weight, he'll lose his job.
A few years ago a friend asked do something for me. I can not even recall now what it was but when I told her no she did not need to it she said "don't rob me of my blessing! It is a blessing to bless you. Don't rob me of that blessing." I was not trying to rob her of anything. I just wanted to pull my own weight. But the truth was I was going to rob her of the blessing of serving me. She wanted to carry some of my weight and that was not a burned to her. It was a blessing. But I had to let go of the weights I was struggling to pull.
I started to understand that those who help me pull my weight were blessed by it. And yes even though the frustration of me being chronically ill bubbled up in all of us from time to time. Not because they view me as being lazy but rather that the weight they help me carry is heavy. They have their own weights to carry. Think of it this way, each family member is given weights at each birthday. The older you get the more weight you carry. So the children in a family carry less weight than the parents. The scales will tip at some point in life. For most normal people that happens sometime in your 70s. When your children start to help you carry your weight. Or if one of parents gets sick the family and friends will help carry the load. For instance when a Mother gives birth the Father may help with household courses for a time. Until such time the Mother can start pulling her weight again at home. For a chronically ill person that shift happens much early and sadly most often they are never able to take back their weights full time. It is easy for people outside of my family to not understand how our household works. I heard for years when will you go back to work? What were they asking? When will you start to pull your own weight? I have even had someone say " don't you want to take some of the pressure off your husband?" Of course I do! But the truth is yes there is a measure of weight that it takes to manage a family and household. But the needs of the family determine how the weight is carried. I am so glad that I have not robbed my family the blessing of helping me carry my weight. It is a blessing to all of us.
All my kids own how to cook food for themselves and others. The two older ones can do any household course that needs to be done. The youngest is learning new skills each day. We are still working on the washer and dryer. For now his older siblings carry that weight most of the time. Those are all skills they had to learn to help me carry the weight of running the household. My husband is the hardest working man I know. Because of his hard work to provide for our family my children have a strong work ethic. They show up early and will stay late to make sure the job is done right. They can come together to take on any job as team. The lie that each of us have weights that we alone must carry with no help is one of the biggest lie the devil has ever sold us. Jesus whole ministry was to help carry the weight of others. He tells us in Matt 11:28
" Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Jesus was the model for helping carry the weight of others.
Jesus told his followers to Sell your possessions, and give to the needy.
Luke 12:33a
Now don't get me wrong it is easy to go down the lazy road when others start to carry your load. It is easy use our sickness as a excuse but that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about when others help you with your load because they love you and see your struggle. Their goal is to help you live, help you not struggle so much, to have time to heal and recover.
Jesus is the only one who took the weight and kept it.
Isaiah 53:4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted
As Christians it is our job to be the model of Jesus to others. To help carry their load when they can not. I am so thankful I have so many to pick up my weights when they are to heavy to bare. But I have to be willing to give up the load when it gets to heavy. The same is true in my relationship with Jesus. I have to be willing to give up my griefs and sorrows. I have to give up the sin I struggle with. I mange pain for a living it is a easy thing for me to say I can handle this struggle, I got this, I have the tools to help me. But most days in the physical I can't mange things well enough to pull my own weight. I mange them enough to get by with the help of others. The greatest tool I have in my pain management tool box is people who love me and support me. The greatest tool I have in life is that Jesus took my load. I no longer have to bare the punishment for my sin. Don't rob others of the blessing of helping you carry your load. Don't be robbed on the blessing of being able to lighten the load of someone. And don't miss out of the biggest blessing of all. Allowing Jesus to take the load you bare from grief and sorrow from death and sin. And most of all don't believe the lie that says we can't help each other carry the weight we bare in life. Take time today to say thank you to those who help you carry your load. Try and do something today on this Giving Tue to help lighten the load of something struggling. A cup of hot tea after a long day out in the cold bitter world can be a spirit lifter for sure. Prayer is one of the most effective way to lighten the load someone is baring. How can you help someone pull their weights today? Thank you to all those to help me pull my weight. I love you all and have you always in my prayers.
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