The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-02-07
OTHER PEOPLES BURDENS.
We Have Enough of Our Own to Bear,
If We Knew II.

alldUla tOuStitulioH-t
Jean Ingelow says:
"a am glad to think
am not bound u make the world 90 light,
But only tt discover and to do
With cheerful heart, the work that God
appoints
An article in the Westminster
Teacher for December. bearing the
title, ..Another's Burden, Not Ours
greatly appealed to me not long since
and caused me to realize how many
people were taking up burdens really
not theirs. So many good people try
to carry burdens which are not their
burdens at all. The writer Of the
article tells US We each have quite
enough burdens of our own to bear,
without gathering up the burdens of
other people and piling them on top
of our own. We could get on better
if we confined ourselves to our own
tasks, duties, responsibilities, and
cares of our own life. There never
are more burdens of our own than we
can carry with Gods help, and if we
would not 90 outside of our own allot-
ment we should get on without
trouble.
Nov there is q great difference in
helping bear one another's burdens
and taking others burdens and
making them our own. We are told
to :" bear one another's burdens -
that is, help all we can to tighten the
load of others-but we have no right
to take the responsibility that should
be anothers' and make it our own.
The writer of the article alluded to,
says: MANY persons insist on travel
ing far atield and take up things
which God never intended them to
look after. OF course they are over
loaded and their life's work is hurt
Some persons fret over unfinished
work. After they have done their
best but little seems to have been &C
com plished and a great deal remain 5
to be done 1t appears to them that
they have failed because they have
not completed what they began. But
the truth is, that only fragment or
section OF the great task was allotted
to them, and this they have accom-
plshed we'll What is vet to be done
is another's, not theirs"
There is something very comfort
ing in this thought, that each one Of
US have certain duties allotted to us
If we do them faithfully and cheer
fully, leaving the results to a hi her
power, we have done all we could.
Often | have looked at women
working here and there, going among
the poor, carrying spiritual comfort
to the prisoner. in jails, and seem
ingly everywhere in their work. and
have envisd them the physical
strength, and then thought what
very little /. with all my efforts, was
accomplishing; SO this thought OF
only doing my allotted part bring.
some comfort, and the work l love so
we'll may vet be finished by another.
and | must do with ..cheerful heart
the work that God appoints
Another instance given Of carrying
burdens not our own is when dutie.
seem to conflict and we appear to be
responsible for the things we cannot
do. This is illustrated by telling OF
leave her own home for time &c
nurse an aged mother who was i'll
! and needed her. She saw her duty
| plainly and did not hesitate to do it
| but what about the responsibilities
Of home. husband and children? She
| worried herself with thousand
| thoughts-the windows would not be
kept clean, the rooms would not be
busted, and a thousand other such
minor matters. When she made uE
her mind it was her duty to 90 and
| care for her sick mother, she knew il
| would be physically impossible fol
her to be present in both houses; il
God wanted her by her mothers bed.
side. He did not need her with hel
hus band and children. and she should
have put down the one burden ant
let her duties in the one place be
taken up by others.
If only we could get thi. truth
| clearly into our mind and heart, il
would greatly simplify our life.
Many of us vex ourselves grea'
deal over matters which in no wis.
| concern us. We worry because
| others fail in their duties, as if il
were our place to see that their WORK
| is done
Fret not that the day is gone,
And thy task is still undone,
Twas not thine, it seems, at all;
| Near to thee it CHANGED to fall
Close enough to stir thy BRAIN
And to vrx thy heart in vain.
Somewhere, in nook forlorn,
Yesterday a ba be was born;
He shall do thy waiting task.
All thy questions he shall ask,
And the answers will be given,
Whispered lightly out of Heaven
IT'S enough of Joy for thee