by Lois Evans
Most people have had pets of one sort or another. While dogs and cats remain tremendously popular, some people prefer hamsters as an alternative. Perhaps one of the most remarkable moments to watch is a hamster running inside a hamster wheel. Sometimes hours can go by while this tiny creature burns an extraordinary amount of energy running as though it’s trying to escape from something. Of course, the hamster never actually goes anywhere for all its efforts; it’s just spinning its own wheel.
Sometimes, when the weight of domestic life comes to bear on a woman who is a wife and mother, I have often heard firsthand about her desire to escape. Whether it’s a loveless marriage or the stress that comes from caring for multiple children, the urge to flee can be very compelling. Since we know that marriages and children are both a gift from God, escaping from such things is, in a sense, like trying to escape from God.
Jonah tried to escape from God, and most of us remember how that turned out. He was angry that God wanted to show love toward the idolatrous Ninevites. So rather than bring his anger before the Lord in repentance, he tried to run away. Of course, trying to run away from God is like trying to get somewhere while running in a hamster wheel; all he did was spin his own wheels.
So, if life is pressing down on you, bring your burdens before the Lord. He greatly desires to lift that weight off your shoulders and to strengthen you to handle the load you have been given.
