You Are Not Burdened Beyond Your Strength

“Bismillah (In the name of God)”

Sometimes, we face a problem where we feel like there’s no way I can face this or I don’t see a way out of this. Although our mind or heart say that the weight of this problem or situation feels unbearable that’s because we are not focusing on Allah’s (God’s) promise. As we are wondering how we will keep going. Allah (God) gently reassures us:

“Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear.” (2:286)

What does that mean?

This verse is a clear promise from Allah (God) telling us that every challenge we are faced with is matched with a strength within us to help us endure and overcome the situation regardless of what we think. Whether we don’t feel or see that strength it is there to assist us.

What might this strength look like?

Most of us think of strength as a brute force or something that is very strong.  However, is a religious/spiritual capacity, that strength is prayer, reliance on Allah (God), finding solution for the problem or ask for help.

There was a year in my life where things were not going well at work or at home.  I felt like my head could explode at any moment.  It was so bad that I once went into the bathroom and quietly screamed as loud as I could inside of me to release some stress. I felt stuck with no way out. I decided to call my mother and asked for her help.  She listened to me talking for about twenty minutes. When se finally spoke, she said, “If you need to change anything in your life, you must go to God.  You have to talk to Him about everything that you are going to do before you begin.” I am not going to lie to you and said, “Great advice Mommy, thanks.” I felt hurt and disappointed by her words, instead I said “Mommy, I got to go, you have not given me any help.”

We had the conversation on Sunday night. She checked on me on Tuesday to see if I was feeling better. I told her no, my situation had not changed. Finally, she said, “This is what I want you to do. The same way you explained everything to me, I want to talk to God and tell Him all of things you told me and see what happened.”

It was the last week of February and at this point, I felt like I had nothing to lose.  On Thursday night, during prayer time, I told Allah (God) “I am going to say somethings to you because my mother sends me.” I said what I needed to say.

 The following Monday, my husband noticed that I wasn’t excited to go to work like before and asked me, “What’s wrong?”  I explained my work situation to him and said that I wanted to leave the place. He asked me, “What’s your plan? I told him that I needed to get a nomination from a school principal so I can become a substitute teacher.  Unfortunately, school principals do not give their nomination easily to potential substitute teachers. He said, “I will ask our son’s school principal for you. Since I went to the school’s open house, she might be willing to help one of her parents, “I was nominated at the end of March. I did all the necessary paperwork and worked full time as a substitute teacher until the end of the school year.

Why become a substitute teacher?

  My class was too much for me. I could not control the students, and the workload was too much for me.  I didn’t have enough time to prepare for my lessons, and I was teaching a mixed class, second and third grade students. I am an early childhood educator. It was my first time teaching an elementary student. Unfortunately, the loving body language and the soft tone of voice that work in an early childhood classroom do not work with the older students. By the time I made that discovery, it was too late. During that school year, I went to the emergency room twice. This experience has made me learn the words high blood pressure and panic attack.

What does this story have to do with burden and strength?

Looking back, I thought that if I became firm with the students, their attitude would change. However, the strength that I needed was to leave the place and start new somewhere else.  I thought that because I couldn’t handle this class, I would never be able to survive with the higher-grade students. However, this experience had shaped me and thought me how to recognize disruptive behaviors, manage difficult students and control the classroom. I have opted to specialize in Early Childhood education. I still work as a substitute teacher occasionally from Preschool to High School students and Special Needs students as well.

Allah knows your limits. He chose you for this test because He knows you can grow through it.

Ask yourself

1. What feels heavy in my life right now?
2. Do I believe Allah trusts me with this trial?
3. Where can I ask Allah for help?

Prayer

O Allah, strengthen my heart and lighten my burdens. Ameen