blessings and burdens are not mutually exclusive

Hi. I have finally started my first blog post after weeks of putting it off. Not because I am lazy-well, not always- but rather because I didn’t know what to start with. I didn’t know what would capture the reader’s attention and leave them begging for more. I wanted to create the- quote on quote- perfect first post. Or maybe I just made that up? Lord knows. All I know is I put a lot of pressure on this because I care about this; this space. I care about you as you read this and the seeds this could be planting in your mind. I care about Doing Life, and I want it to be exactly what the Lord wants it to be. So, with that being said, of course there’s pressure, but not overwhelming, anxiety-provoking pressure, but just the right amount of pressure to push me in the right direction. The pressure that comes with the weight of your calling. The pressure that God allows you to bear because He knows you can handle it. After all, His burdens are easy and yoke is light, right? Speaking of burdens, let’s talk about it…

As I type this, I am sitting in my new apartment that I spent countless months searching for on the web, on a laptop that was freely given to me, in the city I love the most. Yes, blessings. I sit here recognizing that God has not only provided rain for the seeds that I had sown, but He has over exceeded my expectations and has showered me with even more than what I plowed into the ground. And to be honest, I genuinely believe that everything I am living in is 100% because of God and 0% because of Sedi. Yes, there is a partnership that has to happen, but it’s me deciding to partner with Him in His plans and His will. All of this is God’s hand.

I genuinely believe that everything I am living in is 100% because of God and 0% because of me

I am currently in Ephesians 3, and here Paul talks about how it is by the grace of God that he has been entrusted with the dispensation of preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. Paul knew that he had no part to play in such a grand calling imputed onto him. He knew all of what he was living in was purely because of God’s grace. And that’s how I feel. No amount of fasting could have landed me where I am. No amount of praying in tongues until my mouth was like sandpaper could have placed me where I am. It is all because of the grace of God that I am where I am. It must not go unsaid.

First week in my apartment, and I am already experiencing crazy problems. Some problems that needed to be addressed prior to me arriving here, and other things are honestly just me picking where there needs not to be picked. One would suggest I am looking for something to complain about. I found myself whining and complaining to my agent about how horrible A, B and C is and how they best fix D, E and F by tonight because I am not happy. I know right? Horrible. Not only did I have to repent for speaking to another child of God like that, but I also had to repent just for the constant murmurs that have been escaping my mouth. Complain after complain after complain. Think about it, I am sitting in an answered prayer- literally; on a couch in an apartment, I prayed for- and all I can do is grumble and groan because the answered prayer came with its own challenges.

Don’t we all do that sometimes? Sit in something we prayed for and just dwell in the complications that come with that thing, because in our minds, complications shouldn’t come with that thing. The thing should be absolute bliss, worry-free and come with no issues. I don’t know why, but we believe that a true blessing doesn’t come with burdens, and that everything is okay only if there is nothing that’s not okay. How crazy is that, because we believe something that history has proven to us, in numerous ways, is not possible. Blessings and burdens are not mutually exclusive.

How many times have we heard that saying “mo’ money, mo’ problems”? As wordly as that sounds, I can’t think of a better phrase to sum up what I am saying. The more you receive is the more you must be willing to bear. Being blessed beyond measure doesn’t mean you will casually cruise throughout life. It often means you will have greater things to fight, or harder trials to face. Now, “harder” in itself is subjective, because we don’t go through things that God knows we wont be able to handle, and “hard” for me could be “light-weight” for you, but the point is, what you go through today will feel 10 times harder than what you went through three years ago. If we want the Lord to bless us and increase our capacity, we need to be willing to take the hits that come with that. Whether it’s a promotion, being a leader at school or getting the finances to start that business, it’s going to be harder. There’s going to be added burdens to that amazing blessing. And I think the best way to prepare oneself for that is to not necessarily expect problems, but don’t be surprised by them to the point that they leave you complaining instead of celebrating the blessing you are sitting in. The burdens shouldn’t overshadow the blessings, but rather highlight what a huge blessing it is for it to be followed by such a problem.

I was speaking to a friend this morning, and they said, “if your faith can’t handle the blessing, the burden will surpass the reward.” Woah! Of course it will. If you are unable to see past the burden that came with the blessing, you won’t even recognize the blessing anymore. Your view will be this mountain in front of you, and you will fail to see the still waters by which God has led you. Before you know it, all you can do is complain. Scary.

Perhaps next time we find ourselves waiting for a prayer to be answered by the Lord, let’s see that waiting period as a grace. Perhaps God knows the burden that may come with the blessings will take your praise away from Him, and something tells me He wouldn’t want that. Perhaps God is gracious enough to hold onto that prayer, and only release the blessing to you in His perfect timing; a time when whatever burden comes with it will not take your sight away from the blessing.

Love and light always

-Sedi