My Yoke is Easy and My Burden is Light

It was a warm day in May, the beginning of summer break. A friend and fellow Patrick Henry College student, Grace, sent me a Facebook message. “We should organize a benefit concert to support International Justice Mission and raise awareness on human trafficking!” she wrote. “We could host it at PHC. I think it’s time we do something to make a difference.”
I agreed wholeheartedly to an April date. In retrospect, it all sounded so easy and gratifying. We would get a great band to perform, excite the students, and watch the crowd pour in. People would give thousands to support IJM.
Immediately, my friend and I began calling bands. This was new terrain for both of us—we had never coordinated an event before, and knew nothing about contracts or fundraising or design.
I should have had my knees plastered to the floor, seeking God’s direction and help. But instead, I knitted my brows, pushed up my sleeves, and began making phone calls. I was convinced that, with a little determination, I could make this happen.
As summer gave way to fall, we were still penniless, without a website or graphics designer, and searching for that magical band with an affordable booking rate. Grace’s efforts were halfhearted, as she struggled with a hectic work and school schedule. I was pouring well meant but fruitless persistence into the concert. This was God’s concert after all.
Christmas break arrived. A band had expressed interest in participating, but we had no money.
Disheartened, Grace suggested that we postpone the concert; I grudgingly agreed. So we found ourselves in December starting from scratch, six months later than we had originally planned the concert. The concert would take place in late October and we needed a new band.
A fitful war between discouragement and determination grappled in my heart. Months had passed, and we were getting nowhere. I did not want my pride to be bruised by failure. My puffy self-esteem wanted a gold star for its efforts. So I kept going.
By April, we had received interest from two bands for the date we wanted. Excellent. A fellow student designed us a beautiful website. Fantastic. But we still had no money, and therefore could not move forward.
May arrived. A year had passed, but we had hardly made ground on the project. We had lost our original date and band, and could not proceed further. In addition, Grace continued to struggle silently. Weeks passed when I did not hear from her or see her. I sensed something was wrong, but did not know what to do.
This is when God began setting the stage for His takeover. I was oblivious, still bubble-wrapped in self-confidence. But He had greater plans in store.
First, He sent us Stephen, a quiet senior with a heart of gold. At our first meeting, he helped me write a fundraising letter to mail to potential donors. But obstacle after obstacle stood in the way of sending those letters. I wrestled to pull everything together while Stephen was in Texas and Grace was interning full-time; but I was beginning to lose confidence. One day, I shoved about 25 fundraising letters through the mail slot. Hopefully, this would mean money. But after two weeks passed, we still had no replies.
Just a few days later, the band contacted me. They had signed another contract—we were too late. At the end of June, we had to go back to the drawing board, yet again. I sat at my desk, realizing that everything had fallen apart. We had no money, so we had to start over again with only three or four months to raise funds, find a band, sound equipment and an audience.
That’s when I realized, for the first time—this was impossible. I could not do this.
I looked at the pile of remaining fundraising letters and envelopes on my desk, ready to be sent out. But what was the use at this point? It was time to give up. This event couldn’t happen, wouldn’t happen. I had failed.
That was a dark, overwhelming night. The darkness haunted me with reminders that I was too weak, too small, too inexperienced to try something like this.
The next morning, I sat reading my Bible, watching the cool morning light seep through the blinds. I turned to Matthew chapter 11, verse 28–
“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
I stared at the words on the page; re-read them a few times. All I had done for the past year was labor. This concert had been nothing but a heavy burden, that never eased, that never brought victory. It was discouragement after discouragement. And yet, we had tried to make this God’s event. This was His concert, not ours. Why hadn’t He made it easy?
Then I realized: This concert has been heavy, because it has been my burden, not His. It has been my concert, my responsibility, my striving and my work. When have I given up and let Him take control? When have I stopped fretfully planning and plotting, and allowed Him to direct?
Sitting at that desk, I faced two options. I could give in to the pressures and discouragement, and quit. Or I could give in to God, and let Him take over. I decided to choose the latter option. Hands open, head bowed, I gave up. Suddenly the blessings began to flow.
Over the next few days, I talked to Stephen and Grace about a new date —October 1, during the college’s Homecoming week. First, we had to get permission from the Dean of Student Life. I walked to her office, whispering prayers under my breath because I had heard that she might not like the idea…but she gave her wholehearted approval. Not only that, she said the Homecoming committee would give a portion of their budget to the concert.
During my lunch break, I called and e-mailed two separate bands that were recommended to us. Both responded in a matter of minutes, saying they would love to participate—and for an affordable fee.
I checked my mailbox. We had about $500 worth of donations.
In one afternoon, God gave us a date, two possible bands, faculty approval, and the beginning of our funds. A year of my efforts was blown away by a few hours of His direction. The next week, we received a $2,500 donation. We signed a contract with the band Reilly, and they offered to bring all the needed sound and lighting equipment.
In August, our designer finished the posters and the website. Throughout September, students helped distribute promotional materials throughout the community and in local churches. Over half of the student body bought tickets. People I did not know steadily supported us with prayer and donations. My sister and brother flew to Virginia, to help with last-minute organizing details. My little brother even gave all his hard-earned mowing money to the cause.
October 1 arrived. I ran around like a crazed ADD puppy, excitedly checking off the last details. Occasionally, the questions would probe, “What if no one comes? What if it doesn’t work after all? What if the band is late? What if the sound system doesn’t work?”
But God had brought this concert to pass, in spite of my efforts and failures. He had proven Himself faithful. Before the concert started, I prayed with Reilly in the green room. One more time, we gave the concert into His reliable hands.
One more time, He answered our prayers.
The artists sang their hearts out. Dr. Barnard, our speaker from IJM, brought truth and a challenge. The students responded with raised hands, bowed heads, tear-filled eyes.
I sat with my sister and brother watching, awe-struck. None of this was supposed to happen…none of it would have happened if not for God’s incredible grace.
I messed everything up. As long as I persisted, we failed. But the Lord created something beautiful. In my weakness, He showed Himself strong.
The Christian life is not about us achieving great victories for God. It is about Him achieving great victories through us, by His strength and grace. He guides us away from our comfort zones, and into places we never thought we would be. In that place of potential fear or potential trust, we have the opportunity to surrender and serve. Through utter dependence on Him, He makes the impossible work possible. “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”