When things get heavy… Carry the Weight!

When things get heavy, do not wait for the weight to be carried by someone else, you must carry the weight!.  “For every man shall bear his own burden.” (Galatians 6:5). There are things that transcend time and space, things that some of us who are lucky, have learned from our parents, or from those who raised us… Others through time, and with no exception probably after 16 years old and suffer pain, hunger and need, can clearly see through experience as good or evil, as discipline or as something to avoid due to the lack of character or excess of lazyness.

Good Timber by: Douglas Malloch

The tree that never had to fight
For sun and sky and air and light,
But stood out in the open plain
And always got its share of rain,
Never became a forest king
But lived and died a scrubby thing.

The man who never had to toil
To gain and farm his patch of soil,
Who never had to win his share
Of sun and sky and light and air,
Never became a manly man
But lived and died as he began.

Good timber does not grow with ease,
The stronger wind, the stronger trees,
The further sky, the greater length,
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men good timbers grow.

Where thickest lies the forest growth
We find the patriachs of both.
And they hold counsel with the stars
Whose broken branches show the scars
Of many winds ad much of strife.
This is the common law of life.

This is undoubtedly one of my favorite poems, for it vividly displays true character. It illustrates a human being capable of building from nothing, adopting a spirit of love, power, responsibility, discipline and self-control. It showcases genuine courage; while we all experience fear, some of us choose to keep moving forward and fear even though is felt… does not stop us. We accept our responsibilities and the heavy weight that must be carried to reach true achievement. Nothing is simply handed to a strong individual, and if it is, they utilize it in impressive ways. The true nature and character of a man are revealed equally in moments of profound adversity and in times of abundance.

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

— 2 Timothy 1:7

This is the mark of a human who accepts challenges, respects time, space, and honors the universal laws of Nature. This person understands a fundamental truth: we, as humans, do not truly create ex nihilo (out of nothing); we merely use God’s creation to fulfill our needs. No amount of science, mathematical formulas, or knowledge of physics will ever allow a man standing in an empty vacuum to conjure a single gram of gold at will. Every single thing in this universe, our existence, our bodies, our minds, and our souls are wholly given to us by God.

“For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.”

— Hebrews 3:4

If we become fruitful, it is because we fear and obey God, live righteously, and refuse to complain. We process our reality, and by doing what pleases God, doors open to what we seek during this fleeting experience we call life. Inevitably, this life will end, and in that very last second, when there is no turning back, you will finally discover exactly who you were.

“Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day… The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time.”

— Seneca

Written by: Rhet A. Marini