Coffee With Jesus Daily
“The Burden I Was Never Meant to Carry Alone”
There are moments in life when fear settles into the quiet places of the heart — moments when the unknown feels heavier than anything we’ve ever carried. This past week, I lived inside one of those moments.
I carried a fear I didn’t want to speak aloud. I cried more times than I can count. I imagined the worst because I love deeply — my daughter, my grandchildren, my husband, my family. I feared losing moments I haven’t yet lived, memories I haven’t yet made, and callings I haven’t yet fulfilled.
But something changed when I finally shared the burden with the people who love me. My daughter said, “Momma, carrying this alone had to be so difficult.” She was right.
My prayer circle widened. My burden lightened. And my heart grew calmer.
I am deeply grateful for the steady prayers of my daughter, my sisters, and my dear friends Wendy and Glen. Their love, their support, and their unwavering faith held me together when my own strength felt thin. I could not have gotten through this week without them — their voices lifted me, their prayers steadied me, and their presence reminded me that God often answers through the people He places around us.
Today, I received the news I had prayed for: no malignancy found. Two benign neurogenic cysts — explainable, manageable, and not the threat I feared.
I felt relief wash over me like a warm sunrise after a long night.
And in that relief, I heard God whisper:
“You were never meant to carry this alone.”
I look at my life now with renewed gratitude — for the bakery I still want to build, the art I still want to create, the community I still want to serve, the marriage I want to deepen, the grandchildren whose milestones I want to witness, the daughter I want to continue guiding, the great‑niece I want to watch grow, the son‑in‑law who needs family, the sunsets, the wildflowers, the music, the friendships, the mornings I want to wake up thankful.
There is still so much life to live.
And today, I choose to embrace it with passion, joy, and gratefulness.
Scripture: “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” — 1 Peter 5:7
Prayer: Lord, thank You for carrying what I could not. Thank You for surrounding me with people who prayed me through the fear. Thank You for the gift of today — and all the days still ahead. Help me live them with gratitude, purpose, and joy. Amen.
Reflection Question
Where in my life have I been carrying a burden alone, and who might God be inviting me to share it with?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone’s prayers, support, or presence helped you through a difficult season. How did God use them to remind you that you are not alone?
Closing Blessings
May the peace of Christ rest gently on your shoulders today. May His steady love quiet every fear that tries to rise again. May His presence remind you that you are held, guided, and never alone.
May you walk into the hours ahead with a grateful heart, eyes open to the small wonders He places in your path— the warmth of a sunrise, the kindness of a friend, the laughter of a child, the whisper of hope in the middle of an ordinary moment.
May your life continue to unfold with purpose, with joy, with courage, and with a deep awareness of His goodness.
And may you always remember: the God who carried you through the unknown is the same God who will walk beside you in every beautiful day still to come.
Amen.
May the gentle rhythm of grace fill your home tonight. May the same God who calmed your fears continue to steady your heart. May His peace linger in every corner — in the laughter of your family, in the quiet of your prayers, and in the soft glow of morning light on your kitchen table.
May you wake tomorrow with renewed strength, ready to savor the sweetness of ordinary blessings — the scent of coffee, the warmth of sunlight, the sound of birds greeting a new day.
And may your life, Cheryl, be a living testimony of gratitude — a reminder that even after the storm, God’s goodness still blooms in the meadow.
Amen.
