My Yoke is Easy (Il mio giogo è dolce)

I remember a time when I'd become very weary of all that was going on in my life and greatly in need of God's rest, as it talks about in Matthew 11:28. We all get to this place at times; several times even. But let's be real. What Matthew 11:30 says it takes to get that rest, accepting that Christ's yoke is easy... just doesn't come easy. When you think of a yoke or a burden, it's something that you know you must bear, but is still difficult to endure. Yoke, easy. Burdens, light. These are pairs of words that don't seem to go together. And if you read the verse in the Italian, it takes this even further. In the Italian Bible, the word used for easy is dolce; which as many know means "sweet."

Can this really be true? Can a bitter trial we experience actually be sweet? Well getting back to the time when I was truly burdened, I felt like it was more than I could bear. Having already walked with Christ for some years, my prayer life had become pretty strong. But under the weight of my trial I found myself going to God in prayer even more. And as I did, something pretty amazing began to happen. I was spending a lot less of that time agonizing over my circumstances and a lot more in delightful fellowship with God. Right in the middle of my troubles!

I remember that this was also a lonely period in my life when no one really seemed to have time for me. There were days when I would literally stare at the phone hoping it would ring, and I'd have someone to talk to. But the truth was, part of my trial was learning how to walk alone, when necessary. And it was really the fact that I didn't have anyone to turn to as I went through this trial, that pushed me to spend more time in the presence of God.

And even though I didn't know anything about the Italian Bible at the time, looking back now I can truly say, that was when I had my first taste. Taste of what you might ask? My first taste of Christ's yoke being dolce, sweet.

My new and deeper discovered level of fellowship with Christ truly did become sweet. More than ever, I looked forward to our times of fellowship. In fact, they became so precious that I went from wishing for a phone call to feeling a call was an interruption if it came when it was my prayer time. And all of this happened during a very difficult period in my life! My time with God had become so sweet, così dolce, that I almost wished the trouble would hang around a little longer. (Note that I said, almost.)

Another way of thinking about a yoke, giogo in Italian; it's the thing in animal pulled carts or wagons that connects one beast to the other so they can share the weight of the load and pull it together. This is what happens when we are under heavy burdens. Our yoke, if we accept it, binds us the more to Christ. And it's  this connection that will beckon and draw us closer to His Presence where we will be strengthened by His joy.

Yes Dolce, seems like a perfect way of expressing what I experienced with Christ. So no, the trial itself wasn't sweet, but Christ's yoke, that closer connection, the fellowship with Him, definitely was.

I have to say, that in the natural I am looking forward to going to Italy and experiencing what many refer to as la Dolce Vita, the Sweet Life. But spiritually, I thank God that I have already and continue to experience true Dolce Vita, in Christ.

Whether going through a difficult time in life, or being blessed with a season of rest, the sweetest life there is, dolcissima… is found in Christ.