Justice, I've found lots of my perceptions about who I thought God is to be "twisted" as you say. As a Christian, I find God's living Word and written Word to be the sources of Truth. So, I thought if you would like we would look at what the scriptures have to say about your very important question.

Actually, at first glance your statement "that God would not give any one person more than they can handle" seems to be legit. I mean I've heard sayings similar to this off and on my whole life, but just because you hear something over and over doesn't make it true. Let's check the Bible and specifically look at 1 Cor. 10:13: "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it." There it is God will not give you a __________. Wait. It doesn't say burden but instead it says "temptation." Temptations and burdens are totally different.

Now, let's find some other verses, specifically 2 Corinthians 1:8-9: "For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead." Notice that even Paul was burdenened excessively and even despaired of life. Ever felt that way? Why would God allow such a great man like Paul, who had important missionary work to accomplish, to be burdened excessively? Why would He allow such great pains to you and me? Many on this thread have given possible answers to this. I doubt we will know all of the answers to this on this side of heaven, but I think I know part of it. You see we all are born into this world wanting to do our own thing. Salvation is marvelous, but even if you have been saved, we continue to remain in control of our life most of the time. Oh, we may strive and try hard to live the Christian life, but at some point as circumstances overwhelm us and we feel burdened excessively to the point that we give up. God you are going to have to live through me. Finally, God replies: "now, you are ready to trust me and not yourselves." Hey, this is what happened to me anyway. As we give up and let God teach us, we find life liveable again. Slowly, we find some peace on occasions despite circumstances. I loose this peace and continue to struggle and God gently nudges me once again to depend on him. For brief periods of time, I find myself experiencing the "abundant life" promised in John 10:10. Oh, how I want more of that life, the life of Christ living abundantly through me. Are you interested in living such an abundant life? Any comments?

And to Sally's Mom, Amen. As we are burdened excessively and then depend on Christ, we learn that indeed "Jesus gave His life FOR us, so that He could give His Life TO us, so that He could live His Life THROUGH us."

David