We know of shock absorbers.
I first came across this word in college when the seniors ahead of me wrote in their thesis acknowledgments the names of people who were their shock absorbers. These were close friends who listened patiently as they ranted about professors and thesis advisers who gave them academic hell.
Then of course there’s the shock absorbers for cars and other vehicles.
The point of shock absorbers is to lessen impact, to make collision less painful, less damaging. A bit similar to what Jesus was saying in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He offers wide open arms to those who have heavy loads to carry, those who have untold griefs bursting in their chests.
You may be reading this thinking no one understands the knots and tangles of your heart. You are dead wrong. Jesus knows his way through the most difficult maze of our lives and could trace a straight line out of all the tangles of our thoughts and emotions. When he invited the entire human race to come to him, he was saying he has the ability to cure the ails of those who approach him.
There’s not a grief in anyone’s heart today that Jesus doesn’t know. He knows and he cares. Come to him. He is your grief-absorber. And healer too.
Jojo Agot 