Burdens of Stress During Covid-19; For audio only PPN
Truth of the Spirit with Patti Brunner offers “Burdens of Stress During Covid-19” to help you overcome the stress that attacks you whether you are self-isolating or sending family outside the home. She provides spiritual insight from the Lord’s advice and instruction. Truth of the Spirit gives ways to reduce your burdens and use the time of Covid-19 or any time of stress as a time of opportunity.
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The medical insurance company in my state has had a rise of mental illness claims, tripling in this year of Covid-19 that caused burdens of stress in ordinary lives of people living in extraordinary times. Do you have stress, anxiety of isolation and fear in these passing of days that seem to go so quickly or excruciatingly slow? Are you carrying burdens that cause a continual listing of the boat to the side revealing an ‘out of order’ that causes our ship to sail in circles? Fear not. Allow Jesus to shift the heavy burdens in your life so as to evenly distribute and allow order to follow the straight path to the heavenly realm. The Lord God always sends forth His grace. Do you have financial stresses? Do you feel like you are failing the test? We forget God’s strength, His power, His love, His plan.
Welcome to Truth of the Spirit. Today’s episode is “Burdens of Stress During Covid-19.” I’m your host Patti Brunner. Today I am sharing some of the advice, instruction and promises the Lord has given me as I sought his face at adoration during various times of personal stress and burden and to share with others.
Jesus tells us this: come into my arms and take your rest. In “easy times” a relaxed time for ‘No-brainers’ when life flows without turmoil, where each decision is simple and clear, know that God is with you. In “moderate” times — accept God’s instruction. In difficult times — trust God.
Are you stressed about staying home and isolation? Are you stressed about your family going out—especially your children or grandchildren—and being exposed not just to the pandemic but to violence or the culture of death? Jesus has called you to love his children — as well as your own. Certainly the joys of motherhood outweigh the woes. Continue to walk in the footsteps of mother Mary and you shall not sink! Recall her searching for Jesus during the festival trip before finding him in the Temple. Sometimes mothers worry about their children when they begin to step out into adulthood. It is okay. Ask for wisdom and it shall be yours. Ask for peace, and it shall come quickly. Ask for rest and it shall come — eventually. Do not despair– “this too shall pass” has helped many mothers delight in the antics of their children.
Fear not. Trust in you heavenly Father—all things pass away—sorrow, sickness, responsibilities as the fullness of joy is known when the kingdom is come. As you choose, know that The Lord is with you and The Lord is with each member of your family.
In the scheme of things, this is but a stitch in the quilt of your life. Tie off the thread and allow the Lord to thread the needle with a golden thread as you move forward in your spiritual life and your natural life with the effect of the last few weeks tucked within your memories, within the makeup of who you are meant to be. Experience is a good teacher. Allow the hard moments, the happy moments, the moments of clarification and even those stressful moments to now be released into the river of living water as the stream of God’s grace washes you, cleanses you from your “distress” and releases the Lord’s peace deep within you. Think of the cool and flowing water of a spring-fed River, with the sandy bottom and how relaxing it is to float on a warm summer day. Feel the energy of the warmth of the sun. You are in the stream of the living water of the Holy Spirit! We are in the warmth of the living Son of God Most High! In the cool of the evening the Lord said he would be with his people and indeed He is.
As you sort through the next few days always remember God’s love for you and the way you felt when you were first given the understanding of God’s love. By love the world shall change. The crumbling hearts who have rejected God can be made whole. The desert can and shall bloom. Reach into the hearts of others and touch them. Go past the thorns, the barricades, take a hammer and chisel if necessary—a crack is all that is required—that is why the reality of death so prevalent in today’s world changes lives so dramatically. The development of the mind towards living the life of the Kingdom is so slow for most people. You can live forever but we need to allow death to change our thinking towards the eternal. Only in death, as truth is revealed, do most gain understanding of the true delight in trusting the Lord and fully accepting his righteousness into the heart.
The longing for perfection in our lives reveals the “lack” of perfection in ourselves and in others that we love. As you sit before the king of Kings, the Lord of Lords, abandon yourself to the smallness of all your attention to the worries of your life. Allow Jesus to consume you into His infinity. Whenever the burden becomes too heavy, stop and examine it. How much of the ‘added weight’ is the things insulated by worry and fear? Remove them. How many are things that should be placed on the Lord’s shoulders? Remove them from your own. How much is picked up from the judgment and opinions of others? Shake them loose and leave them on the trail. How much has been added ‘just in case’? Things that prevent the living in the day and instead heap on tomorrow’s worries? Set them aside. Now you have trimmed your load. It is perfected for your particular journey. Then take your burdens and yoke them with Jesus. Together you shall walk this path of life. Ask the Lord, “What is my pack today Lord?”
Sometimes the weary are worn down by trying to do things by themselves. I urge you to place your lives in the hands of Jesus and peace and refreshment will come. In Matthew 11 Jesus says, ““Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Do you sometimes grab other people’s packs to carry? When you take on the burdens of others it does lighten their load for a season, yet it may not relieve them. You cannot please man. Know this. You will never be enough. Accept this. Fear not. Remember the Lord is God and you are not. Now, quit worrying about it. Even Jesus could not please man, and he is enough! You have let go of many things in your walk with Jesus. You have picked up a few of them again. Lay down your desires and let Jesus pick them up. Lay down your burdens and let Jesus carry them. Lay down your joy, your love and let Jesus magnify them.
Love does reach out to help, to steady, to witness, to share. The important thing is to be aware of God’s Will for you. Is serving good? Yes. Yet look at Martha’s trouble; she was overwhelmed by her work and lashed out at others and to Jesus. Is carrying some burdens good? Yes look at Simon who carried the cross with Jesus; but also look at Judas who carried the money bags for the ministry. His burden corrupted God’s plan of love and he then betrayed Jesus to further his own plans. Weariness comes from the weight of lack of repentance yet the Lord sets this aside as we repent and promises to ‘remember your sins no more’. How gracious and loving God is!
The “pouring out” of self includes the old and decay as well as the best and the most precious; one “pouring out” makes room for the desire for the other. The ‘way of the Lord’ is just that: of the Lord. Love is patient, Love is kind. Judge your own actions by this scripture. Truth will set you free. These difficult days “strain” your faith, your joy, your peace but they cannot “break” them. Lay upon the shoulders of Jesus all your burdens. His strength shall be your joy. You are, indeed, God’s child. You have received the mark of everlasting life. You are free from the bondage of sin; you are in the palm of His hand.
The difficulties in life cause you to turn to the Lord. This is good this turning to the Lord. Difficulties brought into the world by sin are symptoms of the effect of sin. Grace overcomes the difficult. Strengthened by grace you can bear the burden until the release; the release will always come, later or sooner. These difficulties will not exist in the fullness of time in the kingdom of God. Bring the Kingdom into the lives of those who suffer such difficulties. Bring the Kingdom into your life. The Truth, the Word, the presence of God shall bring freedom to the captives and release to the slaves of sin. These days are a true blessing. Someday you will look back and realize that more clearly. Fear Not! He is with you. As the circles grow smaller you will have less confusion. The dedication and purpose of these days will become more clear to understand. Fear not—The Lord God is with you, now and forever. I know from experience that when you look for the blessing in each burden it will lighten considerably and change your attitude of misery and judgement.
Let not the burden of the world attach to your heart. The world is the burden Jesus carries in love and desire for the well-being of his people. No, look upon his Face and find your rest. Find your peace. Continue to seek the Face of the Lord, turn to Him with all your needs and He shall grant you whatever you need. Do you wonder why must we seek the Lord to find him? Why does he not come and find us like the lost sheep? The Lord does look for us when we are lost and sends many “shepherds” to look for us; however, unless we in turn look for him we will wander farther and farther into the darkness.
By seeking him we prove the need for him and a place in our hearts, in our lives, carved out to make room for him and his love and power. In his divinity He can be always with us, but by our freewill we can squeeze him out of our hearts, out of our lives. Making Jesus a part of our daily lives is not extremely difficult. Peter’s mother-in-law got up through healing and did what she was called to do—cook for Jesus and his followers. Is this difficult? Is this beyond our capabilities?
The Holy Spirit will guide you in the Lord’s Ways. Listen to Him. Listen with all your heart. Listen and be fed by the Word that comes through the age to the one who loves the Lord with all his mind, heart and soul. Listen to the Lord and you shall be free to enter His Kingdom.
Life is a journey — each experience can be used to grow in faith. What lessons can you learn during your current ordeal, this season of opportunity? Include: dependency, focus on pain, understanding reluctance of healing opportunities, peace from offering up your suffering, trusting God for relief. As you consider the needs of your family, the Church upon earth and those who do not know God, the Lord hears your cry for help. The burden is light the yoke easy—yet you have added the weight of fear. The Lord can help you make decisions that have been in your heart—chained by fear and complacency—and you will pick up your cross and follow Jesus. The turn of events during this season of opportunity shall open your eyes to truth and truth shall set you free.
As the world crumbles in a spiritual war the blasts shall cause trenches of faith so that ground shall be held like on the beaches of Normandy. In history it appears that man fails to learn the lessons of war and peace, yet it is evil itself that rises against peace and longs for the destruction of families, the destruction of nations. Wherever you are God is. The darkness in your heart shall bubble to the surface as you turn your face toward the Lord as you face difficulties in your life.
The facing of difficulties are indeed tests. Trusting God is the ‘passing’ of the test whether the particular is overcome or not. Also, choosing good over evil when evil is ‘easier’ and ‘seems simpler’ is also a work of success. If you remember when you were in school the best way to pass a test was to listen to the teacher, participate in class and study the assignments. To prepare for the tests in your life today use these:
- Read scripture, the ‘owner’s manual”,
- Pray, the communicator’s choice;
- Receive the Eucharist, the nourishment needed to be strong;
- Evangelize, sharing so as to allow ‘fresh’ intake after pouring out;
- Commit to obedience;
- Replacing ‘self’ with care and concern for others.
By following this preparation all tests will be “passed” with the ease of the prepared student. It is not the “easy way out” but it is the ease provided by preparation; those who prepare for a school exam/test find it “easy” when they prepared for what the test entailed. Those who “spin their wheels” studying the “wrong” things on the test while providing “knowledge” and take a lot of “prep time” leave the student in final distress and the test is failed. The Lord always provides the answer guide to help you as you seek Him even after failure. Your hope is in the name of the Lord. The Lord allows the tests that bring endurance and strength and ultimately reward. In Hebrews Chapter 11 the Lord reminds of some of the tests that our ancestors underwent in faith in the Old Testament and in Chapter 12 we are, as disciples, encouraged in current testing and struggles to persevere. Today, we can really relate to Hebrews Chapter 12 verse 11 “At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.” The kingdom of God is upon you.
You must stop living in darkness, if you want joy and happiness. The truth will set free those imprisoned by the darkness of sin. The Father sent His Son as the rescuer. Salvation has been made possible by the Blood of the Lamb. God loves you. As you choose the righteous path, your burdens will lessen. As you in turn, reach out to help others to know truth, the enemies’ power over them shall diminish. The enemy is defeated. He hangs on only by feeding on the destruction, the wounds caused by sin. The Lord shall hold back the gates of hell for those who deny Him until the final judgement. The Lord shall go forth among the people of innocence with the blood of the Lamb and shall cover them with His glory. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, resist not the grace poured upon you by the righteousness of the Lord.
You’ve been listening to Truth of the Spirit. I’m Patti Brunner. We invite you to subscribe and to listen to some of our earlier episodes on our YouTube channel and on the Padua podcast network. You can read the blog of this and other episodes on PatriarchMinistries.com website. And then come back for more. With the Holy Spirit there’s always more! Amen.
