Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens
Psalm 68:19 NIV
It was a day like any other when walking down the street in town I met one of my former high school colleagues. I greeted her and we exchanged some pleasantries and old memories. She remembered my Christian orientation and, encouraged by her positive attitude and good memories, I invited her to visit our church on the next Sabbath. She came, enjoyed the service, but never came back.
Some years passed and one day I met her again. While discussing the news, she took me by surprise telling me: „Do you remember when I came to your church and you asked to hold my baby for a while? I felt like a huge burden was lifted from my shoulders when my baby passed from my arms to yours! I felt like all my burdens were lifted by an Omnipotent Power. How much I enjoyed that moment!”
I was shocked and humbled by this unexpected affirmation. I admitted sincerely I could not remember that gesture, even if I very much liked children and loved to cradle babies in my arms, feeling their softness and coziness. After a while, my memory recalled a foggy image of her image with a baby boy in her arms, but nothing more.
”Yes, I still vividly remember that feeling of unprecedented deliverance from my burdens. And it was you who made me feel so relieved”, she said again.
I told her once again that I did not do this intentionally and I could not even remember doing it. But I assured her that God, who loves her very much, used me to extend His love to her through my action.
If a simple action, long forgotten, had such a mighty influence, what if we would follow daily the counsel of E.G.White: ”Find time, my son [daughter], to comfort some other heart, to bless with a kind, cheering word someone who is battling with temptation and maybe with affliction. In this blessing another with cheering, hopeful words, pointing him to the burden bearer you may unexpectedly find peace, happiness and consolation yourself” (11 MR, 358.3).