"Come Unto Him"

Friday, July 4, 2014

Scripture

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Reflection

If I was hearing the beautiful voice of Alice Pierce sing “Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion!” from Handel’s Messiah on Monday, today I’m hearing my wife, Lynn, sing another aria from that same oratorio: “Come Unto Him, All Yea That Labor,” which I heard her sing for the first time when she was a soloist at Luther College in 1969 for the annual performance of Messiah. She was so excited to learn that she had been selected for this performance that she fell down the stairs and broke her foot! My roommate and I, who happened to see her fall, carried her to the health service (little did I know then that she would be my wife!). At the performance several weeks later, when Lynn limped up to the podium to sing her solo, her cast having just come off, her mother overheard someone near her in the audience say, “Isn’t it nice the cripple can sing!”

We all carry heavy burdens. Our Lord welcomes us to lay our burdens down and find rest in him.

Prayer

Dearest Jesus, May I find rest in you today and every day. In your name I pray. Amen.