Easing Burdens

Southeast Asia - Equipped Salt & Light Process™ Participant

Last month, I experienced a powerful moment and lesson with a team of my friends, one I have continued to carry with me. 

We were gathered in the living room of an elderly gentleman who was in the last season of his life. He had lived as a man of responsibility - active, dependable, and strong. He was the one others leaned on.  

But now the roles were beginning to reverse. 

His health was failing, and those who had once depended on him were now trying to care for him. Letting go was hard. The burdens he had carried for decades - family matters, unresolved concerns, and the deep desire to keep protecting those he loved — still pressed heavily on his heart. 

Our team didn’t come with big answers. We came with presence, compassion, and questions.  

As we learned from the Salt & Light Process™, we asked about his life, his stories, and his faith background. He was a religious man, rooted in rituals and traditions that had steadied him throughout the years. We met him there, with respect and care. 

We also spent time with his wife and daughter, teaching them practical skills to care for him in his poor health. It was a tender and holy moment — one where physical care, emotional care, and spiritual care all seemed to come together. 

Then, our team leader did something I’ll never forget.  

She picked up her heavy handbag, handed it to another team member, and said: “I don’t have to carry this weight myself. I can receive help.” The illustration was simple, but it went straight to the heart.  

It wasn’t about the bag. It was about the weight he held in his heart. He had been carrying it all inside — the fear, the responsibility, the love, the grief, and the burden of things he could no longer control. 

Then she said gently, “Human help is fragile. But we can give the weight in our hearts to God through faith in Jesus. He is able to hold and care for us.” 

His face lit up. With their permission, I prayed with them - in their own dialect, in their own words. I praise God for amazing encounters like these. 

I left with a valuable lesson: we cannot remove every burden someone carries. Practical skills can help. Words can comfort. Presence matters deeply. But only God can truly carry the weight that is too heavy for human hands.