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I've carried this before


 This is too heavy for me! That is what I thought to myself as I felt the 45 lb dumbells in my hands seem to slide with each shrug of my shoulders. I stood there shrugging my shoulders, trying to finish up the last set of my third rep. I don't know if it was the lack of sleep, my disinterest in working out, or some combination of both that made me feel like I was about to drop the weights on the floor. I could picture the weights slipping from my hands, bouncing on the floor, and crushing my foot. I could picture hobbling over to the car and driving to the emergency room as my shoe filled with blood and pain. I could picture my wife's concern at my injury, and my concern at the medical bill I would have to pay with our meager income. I pictured having to miss work opportunities and all the misery this injury would cause. It was going to be a miserable life from this point on.

Then I realized, "I've carried this weight before." Not only had I done this workout before, but I had not dropped it before. Not only had I not dropped it before, but I was equipped to carry it because of all the other weight I had carried that made me strong enough to carry this weight. Although I was tired and didn't want to be there, I still could handle this situation because I had become stronger. How many times I have been there in everyday life.

Many times I get into heavy situations, and I forget that God had already been with me when the situations had been less heavy. God training me to carry grades in High School made me strong enough to carry out losing my job as an adult. God walking with me and making me stronger in private time, makes me capable of dealing with heavy things in my public life. Sometimes we forget when we are tired, don't want to be there, or are just tired of being there, God has built us in every heavy situation to carry more. In learning to wait on God, we gain greater strength.

May we remember that we have been built up to carry heavy things, as we walk out those things with God. He will help us, just like He always has. 

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