It is with a heavy heart...

...that phrase never ends well because it is usually the introduction to bad news.

But we don’t always announce our heavy hearts like that, do we? In fact, most of us do everything we can to carry the heaviness around without letting the strain show.

Grief, shame, loneliness, guilt, loss, anxiety, sorrow, stress....

Are you someone who is carrying something heavy and tries to cover the grimace with a smile?

Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends the grief remains. (Proverbs 14:13)

It’s not enough to conceal a heavy heart so others don’t know. It’s still there. It’s still heavy.

So how do we actually lighten the load?

Think of it like stepping into a swimming pool. No matter what the scale says, when you are surrounded by water you end up feeling weightless.

Jesus taught that if we believe in Him we will have rivers of living water flowing from our hearts. This living water is God’s presence. The circumstances may not change, just like the number on the scale doesn’t actually change, but our hearts experience being weightless when flowing with living water.

All of our heaviness can be lifted in His presence.

It’s usually a little uncomfortable for most of us to put on a swimsuit and step into the pool. You feel exposed before getting in but relief comes when you are immersed and weightless.

You just have to be willing to share what you’ve been trying to conceal.

It’s the same with the living water. You become exposed to the Spirit, but once immersed, you are able to experience an inner feeling of having the weight lifted.

The most amazing part about living water is that you never have to get out of the pool. The feeling of being weightless can last with God.

That’s an incredible promise when you’ve been struggling under the weight of a heavy heart.

So are you ready to step into the pool?