This is the post that spurned me into starting an official blog page. I wrote it on Sunday Nov. 6. It was an awesome weekend that weekend.  I had just come home from Women of Faith the day before, and our Sunday School class was very excitable that day.  I love learning about and being in the presence of the Lord! 




I was in my Sunday school class on Sunday morning and we were talking about the things that might separate us from God, not in the specific sin factor, but in the forgetfulness aspect. And I had a vision of what that might look like to me that helped me understand, and then later on I saw even more of what that would mean to me.

I saw a person climbing a mountain with a big huge pack on their back. This person was so determined to make it on his own. He’s climbing up this steep trail that is covered with rocks and brambles, and the more tired and exhausted he gets, the bigger the load on his back. For me, this person was completely aware of Jesus walking right beside him, asking him to let him help carry the load. In his stubbornness this man kept refusing. He said “I can do this on my own, I can carry my own load”. As he gets farther and farther up the trail and the mountain gets steeper and rougher the man is stumbling and falling over and over again, but still gets up to continue his journey all the while refusing the help of the man walking next to him. Jesus does have a load on his back, but his is a nice light little backpack that the man does not notice. Finally the man stumbles and falls to the ground and as hard as he tries, he just can’t get up again. He is exhausted beyond measure. Jesus asks him again if he can help by carrying the load, but a trade. The man in his exhaustion says yes, that Jesus can carry his burden, his pack, his load, but is so tired he doesn’t take Jesus’s bag. He continues up the mountain this time unburdened by his own load, but still getting tired. Jesus asks him again if he would like to take his bag and carry it with him. Again the man refuses. They continue and the man is so grateful to Jesus for taking his burden from him, and yet won’t take the gift bag that Jesus is offering. He doesn’t realize what is in the bag, even though he has freed himself from his own burden, he is still trying to make it on his own. Finally he sits down, and says to Jesus “I just don’t understand, I have given you my burden, you have taken my load upon yourself and my progress is still not what I want it to be.” And Jesus says to him, “that is because you haven’t taken what I have offered. You thought that by giving your burdens to me that would solve all your problems, but yet you refused to take the gift that was offered at the same time because you didn’t understand it. I ask you again, will you take up my bag and carry it with you”. With a reluctance and a sigh the man agrees to take the bag that Jesus has. He asks Jesus “What is in this bag and why is it so light?” Jesus says to him “it is the sustenance you need to continue your journey. You see, I can take your cares and your burdens and carry them, but unless you stop to take the sustenance you need to continue your journey you will still continue to tire and struggle easily. Yes, the road is hard and narrow and there will be challenges, but you need the sustenance to go on. Open my bag.”

The man bends down to look at the tiny pack. He picks it up and opens it. And as he does a light gleams from the inside of the bag onto his face. He immediately starts to feel some of his strength returning to him. One by one, he starts to take the gifts Jesus has given him out of the bag. The first gift was love. The love that Jesus had for him by dying on the cross so that he could make the journey in the first place. The Holy Spirit who would fill him with the fruit needed to be strong and be able to enjoy the journey. His words that would give him encouragement and wisdom on the way. Armor to protect him against the elements and attacks. And lastly a cross, a point to focus on and remember why he was making this journey in the first place to give him strength when he was ready to give up, to remind him of the love that was there for him. 

As the man took and looked at each of the gifts, he was amazed that so much could fit in such a small space, be so light and yet provide so much that was needed to finish his journey up the mountain. 

So many times, I am so guilty of giving my burdens and cares to Jesus, but I don’t accept what he has given in return…at least not completely. Unworthiness keeps me from accepting his love. Pride keeps me from accepting the Holy Spirit because I think I can bear that fruit on my own. Foolishness keeps me from accepting His Words. Fear keeps me from accepting his armor because I don’t trust that even with it I will be able to fight the battle. And as for the cross, believing in it’s purpose is one thing, but remembering to use it and focus on it is quite another. 

What made me think of this story or have this vision? Matthew 11:30. We spend so much of the time on Matthew 11:28 and I quote: ”28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” , that at least for me I don’t pay attention to the rest of the phrase. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

He tells me to take his yoke upon me. So as I am casting all my cares and burdens on him, I have to take his yoke from him. A trade of sorts, but certainly not an easy one. Jesus gets the raw end of the deal, but I forget to take his yoke which is a gift. His yoke is easy and light. Mine is heavy and burdened. His yoke is easy and light because it IS light!!! It IS love!!! It IS the gift of the Holy Spirit, it is wisdom, and grace and peace and joy, and most of all…it is mercy. 

And that gives me the everything I need to continue on this journey. Will it be easy? No, of course not, at times it might even be excruciating. But as long as I am carrying all of the gifts that Jesus gave me I will have what I need to make it.