#Weighed Down

[primepalindrome]

Day 2 of Memay: Weighed down

Here's the link to my prompt list if you want to join in link

[momentsbeforemass]

Cares

Cares are things. Heavy things.

And there’s a question about cares baked into today’s Psalm.

What are you carrying around?

If you’re like me, the honest answer is something like “more than I want to.”

All of us have cares. Whether it’s cares from our past (and every one of us has them). Or the cares of the present. Or cares of the future.

Those are just our basic cares. The ones that are always with us. They create a basic level of weight that we carry around.

And even if we don’t notice them because they’re in the background, it still takes energy to carry them around.

Which means it should be no surprise that the hard stuff of life – relationship problems, family, health, finances, addictions – and even the cares of daily life can feel like they weigh so much more. Can hit us so much harder.

Because you and I are already weighed down with all of our background cares.

Before any of those other cares get thrown on top of what we’re already carrying.

With all of those cares weighing down on us, it’s tempting to just dump it all. Drop all your cares and run away from them.

I know someone who tries to do just that.

Every few months, when it all gets to be too much for them at work, they bail out.

They quit their job. Reinvent themselves with a new employer or in a new line of work. Then find a new job.

Sometimes it lasts a few months, sometimes they make it almost a year.

But when it all gets to be too much for them, they quit their job. Reinvent themselves with a new employer or in a new line of work. Then find a new job.

Rinse and repeat.

Each time it happens, we talk about it. And each time I hear the same things. When the dust settles, they swapped all of the things they couldn’t stand about their old job for the new job’s version of the same stuff.

Nothing ever seems to change for them.

Because dropping your cares and running away from them is an illusion.

It’s not just a job thing. The same thing holds true for every source of cares in our lives. Whether it’s relationships, family, friends, health, addiction, finances, or any other source of cares in our lives.

Your cares follow you. Because no matter where you go. Or what you change. You can’t get away from you.

And when you try to carry your cares alone, your cares will make you into your own worst problem.

Here’s what does work. Not carrying them alone. Not even trying to carry them alone.

And it starts with the most important relationship in your life. Your relationship with God.

How does that figure into our cares?

One of the most subtle forms of pride is the unwillingness to get help. Even our unwillingness to admit that we need help. No matter how badly, how obviously we need it. 

One of the hardest parts of our relationship of God is letting go of our pride. Even our perverse, self-injuring pride in handling our cares alone.

This is what’s behind the Psalmist’s advice to “Cast your cares upon the Lord, and He will support you.”

The help you and I need each day to bear the weight of our cares is ready and waiting. All for the asking.

Whatever you are carrying, know that you were never meant to carry it alone.

God is waiting to support you, to do it with you. If you’ll let Him.

Today’s Readings

[thevoidpeeringback]

Another tricky day.

Questioning constantly why my body is doing this to me.

Feel like my whole body is bubbling and being weighed down, it’s hard to breathe.

It’s so hard to fight and keep strong.

[pearlsforthesoul]

YOU JUST NEVER KNOW (the others burdens)

You see people everywhere and they are public relating who they are and what they do in their coming and going and you never know what is really going on in someone even when you engage them. We forget that trust, vulnerability, permission and outright personal sharing is something people just don’t give up to anyone THE LIFE TRAVEL COMES WITH PAIN Be aware of this however. The person who you…

[tenth-sentence]

She had got rid of two of the secrets which had weighed on her for a fortnight, and was certain of a willing listener in Jane, whenever she might wish to talk again of either.

"Pride and Prejudice" - Jane Austen

[mega-delicatelysuperbcollector]

CLEAR OFF THE BED!

He can’t get all into bed With over half of it weighed down, he said… That stuff goes And frees up bed clothes, So he can be well cover-ed – Jonathan Caswell

[aratribow]

Jing yuan is the kind of parent who is overtly invested in their kid's interests and thus yanqing is his gen z encyclopedia

[frownyalfred]

Broke: Bruce hits his kids

Woke: Bruce has a rule where if his kids hit him first, they have to spar with him

Bespoke: Bruce always finds a way to turn those “punishment spars” into a full-body pin that turns into a hug and that hug lasts until said batkid stops trembling or yelling and they can talk like normal people again

[norumaru]

Beware of phantoms, for they are difficult to get rid of.

Happy Halloween!!

[gabgirrl]

of course char plays as a catgirl online

[idontmindifuforgetme]

don't stress about that opportunity that fell through or that friend you lost or that thing you really want to happen but isn't. as long as you keep your chin up and try try try again, better things will replace your losses. i'm looking at my life rn and actually marveling at how every single thing i stressed about, whether it be an opportunity or a person, got supplanted w another thing that is so much better. it really is true that loss makes space for better things. these days i don't get sad when something doesn't work out. i get excited that i'm now open to so many other possibilities out there, so long as i actively seek them. you never lack. you just transition.

[morganbritton132]

(A little continuation from this post about teeny tiny Steve asking Wayne for help)

“It’s not a lie!” Steve insisted, grabbing hold of Tommy’s backpack strap so they don’t get separated as they filter out of the school building. “It really happened, I swear.”

“Superman really came to your house?”

“Not Superman. Not a superhero,” Steve shook his head. “He’s just has powers. I saw them with my own eyes.”

Tommy waited until the crowd started to thin out before saying, “I think you need to get your eyes checked.”

Steve rolled his eyes, “I’m serious, Tommy. Mr Wayne could see through metal and had super-strength, and - and he can control electricity like an X-Men.”

“If he’s a superhero how come you know his name? They’re supposed to have secret identities.”

“Cause I’m smart and figured it out.”

Tommy makes a face, leading them over to the crosswalk so they can make the trek to his house, “Is this like when you went to ninja school over spring break?”

“I did go to ninja school!”

“My mom said you went to your grandma’s.”

“That’s where the ninja school is,” Steve insisted. “Grandpa Otis taught me ninja moves from the war.”

“Grandpa Otis isn’t a ninja.”

“He has a sword, Tommy. Why would he-“

“Hey, guys! Wait up!” They heard behind them and stopped as Carol ran to catch up. “Choir was cancelled. What’s up with the police here?”

“They have to be here,” Steve answered, “To help with the traffic after that girl got hit a car.”

“But why are they staring at you?”

What?

Steve turned and looked over at the cop monitoring the crosswalk. He was a big scary looking guy with a big mustache and big arms, and yeah. He was staring at them.

Steve looked away from Hopper quickly, “We didn’t do anything.”

“Maybe they know about the superhero and are looking for him,” Tommy said dramatically. “Maybe they want to capture him but they don’t know how to get to him so they’re looking at you. They know how to you easy.”

“Oh my god, he’s still talking about the superhero thing?” Carol asked.

Tommy grinned at her and the two walked off, but Steve stayed rooted to his spot. He turned back one last time, observing Hopper as he observed him. Steve frowned.

Then he ran after his friends, “Guys, wait for me.”

[elodieunderglass]

J.C. Leyendecker, famous queer artist of dapper 1920s people, across a hundred years of separation: so sometimes we need to get a little athlete, I mean a real small one, posing like he’s going to kill and eat someone, leaving no shards of bone.

Me, humble disciple: absolutely absolutely

J.C. Leyendecker: he could kill a horse by sneering. That’s how cunty he is.

Me: doin my best, boss -

J.C. Leyendecker: you must then put him in the silky underwear -

Me: of course.

Leyendecker: do your absolute best to shine up the silky, shiny, thin underwear. Oil it.

Me: I’m not great at this -

Leyendecker: think silk. Think shiny. Think, “this is how you sell clothing to straight men.”

Me: is - is it?

Leyendecker: the whip must, of course, be slightly suggestive. No, more than that. More than that. It’s important that he be provocatively catchable, AND YET - he can defend himself!

Me: got it, boss. Um - you know I’m not actually - I don’t know how to paint -

Leyendecker: shhh, I am telling you. to sell suits we also need a suit guy. we model the suit guy on a Suit Guy, one of my 1920s Suit Guys, it’ll be great.

Me: I can probably draw -

Leyendecker: suit guy could kiss him on the head. 😘 . Like that. Say that.

Me: 🫡

J.C. Leyendecker, “man and jockey clothing advertisement,” 1923. This is how we sell men’s suits, apparently.

[jobycewl]

Um guys theres this really cool light and very wholesome novel called “Scum Villain’s Self Saving System” it is so lovely and i think you should read it

[unusualmourning]

I love posting about Jean, but he always looks so pissed off in official artwork and it feels like he's judging what I'm saying about him...