March Forth

Leaving Your Burdens Behind

Right after the enjoyment of being with family to celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmastime, I begin my new year’s journey, my search for new life, for change, and a new purpose to move forward, or like they say “March Forth”; free from all that has been weighing heavy on me, physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. It’s a good time, a refreshing time, it’s my time to ‘Overcome’, to leave my burdens behind and move forward to my ‘Becoming’.

I find myself guilty of struggling through the winter...every winter! This month I have been thinking about it also applying to the winters of my life, where I just hold on, waiting for the first glimmer of a new beginning with the coming of a Spring-like day or the sun is finally able to shine forth through the wintry gray clouds. This winter despondency and discontent come when it’s time to move on, a time to seek something fresh, joyful, or bright and sunny. I’m sure there are many of you that have felt a desire or need for light and hope and a moving forward.

Right after the enjoyment of being with family to celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmastime, I begin my new year’s journey, my search for new life, for change, and a new purpose to move forward, or like they say “March Forth”; free from all that has been weighing heavy on me, physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. It’s a good time, a refreshing time, it’s my time to ‘Overcome’, to leave my burdens behind and move forward to my ‘Becoming’.

It is good to anticipate this time to turn to the Lord with more intent, petitioning for His help and His strength to overcome our old self. It becomes a time to elicit great courage in becoming a new, stronger version of ourselves. Our determined, resolute, and unwavering choices can turn what has been a difficult road into a beautiful destination...a haven for our ‘Becoming’.

When we embrace change by turning to the Lord for redemption, we overcome the burdens we’ve been packing around, free from our bondage....we are able to begin anew; start fresh, and move freely along a new, even redesigned path that offers a greater chance to move into a bright, more beautiful future.

‘Be Unshaken’ and free as you allow God to walk the path with you. Get away from the stumbling stones, that make progress more difficult, and let go of the worlds burdens that compel us to fatigue and weariness....choose to ‘overcome’ your present life’s challenges as you remain faithful....welcoming, with open arms, a Savior who can and will restore all that seems weak or broken.

Consider that God’s plans for your life far exceed the circumstances that you might find yourself in again and again.

I love how Gary A. Sabin so wisely put it, “We may need to let go of the world so we can hang on to Eternity.”

The secret is to take the first step in the right direction, listen to your heart, and believe in yourself. Happiness can be just a few steps in a new direction when we choose to ‘Overcome’.

We know that Christ, our Savior, loves us and will be with us...He will nourish us and lift us as we walk our difficult roads. He invites us to overcome just as He overcame when He walked here on earth. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To Him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne.” Rev. 3:20-21

The last few years as I’ve read my scriptures I’ve been fascinated with the fact that quite often God’s children are told by the Lord to “...get thee out of this land.” ....such as in Mosiah 24:23; the Lord is telling Alma....“Haste thee and get thou and this people out of this land, for the Lamanites [enemy] have awakened and do pursue thee; therefore get thee out of this land, and I will stop the [enemy] in this valley that they come no further in pursuit of this people. And it came to pass that they departed out of the valley, and took their journey into the wilderness.”

We see that the Lord is there trying to protect His people...all of us...from evil, the dangers, or our enemy that has awakened and is pursuing us. There are times when we are not safe where we are, it is important that we listen to the prompting and pack up all that is important, leave that which will hold us back, and flee for our lives...into the wilderness. God is fighting our battles, arranging things in our favor, and making it possible even when we don’t see that it’s possible.

I have seen one evil, that is probably the heaviest burden we carry; that is the dark thoughts that we battle in our heads throughout the day. Our feelings of being broken and weak, our moments where we tend to form judgments...of self and others, feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, hurt, abandonment, even feeling unappreciated, all bring darkness and depression into our lives. We need to see these times for what they really are and the destruction that they reap, in our ‘Becoming’ and in our happiness! Move away...leave, put anything that stops you from moving forward, behind you

God wants to do a deep work in us before He can do a great work through us.

“....If you do your best it will all work out. Put your trust in God and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us.” ~ Gorden B. Hinckley

Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forgive the ones who don’t, and believe that everything is in God’s hands. If you get a chance take it. If it changes your life, let it. You can overcome or you can stay the same. You can make the best of it or you can become weary and despise the worst of it. Life is not meant to be easy, but, in the end, it will prove to be worth any ‘Overcoming’ we choose to experience.

“There is no passion in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” ~ Nelson Mandela

When freed from the burdens we’ve been packing around, we are able to begin anew; start fresh and move freely along a new path that offers a chance to move into a brighter future. Make your life beautiful!

For this month of March, I thought it would be appropriate to share an Irish Proverb that goes along with the concepts I’m sharing.

May your troubles be less

and your blessings be more

and nothing but

happiness come through your door.

March is a perfect time for us to move forward....a time to move on, a time to create something beautiful, joyful, bright and sunny. This Irish Proverb became the inspiration for my painting that goes along with this March Blog. I titled it ‘March Forth’ because of my longings for change. March naturally becomes my time to ‘Overcome’ by moving out of the place that is putting burdens in my life, and joyfully move forward to my ‘Becoming’.

Watch for next month's message that will expand on the idea of how to pursue your ‘Becoming’.

May you always have more blessings than burdens.

Love to all, ♥♥♥

Jeannie