Blessed with a Burden

I was watching the movie "The Freedom Writers" the other night on HBO. The movie is based on the writings of the students from Woodrow Wilson High School in LA. Most of these students are members of local gangs "destined" to be a menace society and just die unnoticed. They were all in the English class of young Ms. Gruwell, a first year teacher filled with dreams of being the best teacher and produce students she can be proud of. What she found was one uphill battle after another, but that did not stop her. This is her dream and she will make it happen.

There is this one line in the movie that really hit me. At one point Ms. Gruwell is talking with her father. She is crying and wondering if all that she has done really matters when all she does is fight battles that never seem to end. Her father looks at her and says, "You have been blessed with a burden, my daughter."

I've been very tired the past few weeks and somewhat relating to Ms. Gruwell. The line made me imagine God saying this to me. Whenever I go to the lavatory at work as I cry out to Him all my frustrations He'll say, "You have been blessed with a burden, my daughter."

"Blessed by a burden? Lord, sure ka? It's very unusual for those two words to be in the same sentence you know. I mean, some days I try so hard to find even one blessing amidst all the burdens, and now, Lord, you want me to see the burdens AS blessings? I'm not sure I know how to do that."

I never imagined a dream can become a burden. Dreams should be something I love doing. It should be something that I will be really passionate about. I didn't realize being burdened will be part of a dream. But, if my dream is something that God has put in my heart then He must be obeyed. To surrender to His perfect will I must obey... with joy.

I'm not discouraging you to dream. Having a dream is good lalo na if it is from God. But remember that in achieving that dream it is inevitable to have trials on our way. People will try to discourage us and they might even be correct. But if you believe this is really something that God wants you to do, if it is something that He has put in your heart, do not let go of it. Take that burden as a blessing... as a call from God. And of you surrender under His perfect will, the results will be amazing. It may seem impossible for the people around you, but for God it's not. Just look at what happened to Ms. Gruwell's class.

Remember, if it is from God...

...Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

So, what burden have you been blessed with? :)

Note: I've been writing for Wildfire's weekly online devotional DEV-O and this is my second post there. Feel free to visit http://wccwildfire.multiply.com if you want to read more.