“Mommy, you be the librarian,” my 2 year old urged as she handed me a book.
I paused in the midst of clearing the breakfast table to “check-in” the book and put it away.
A few minutes later, she returned to the kitchen with a basket brimming with picture books from the shelf.
I set up a cardboard box librarian desk and we found a pretend library card.
“Beep,” I said as I scanned the library card.
“Beep,” I scanned the first book.
“Beep, beep, beep…”
I handed her the pile of 13 books. “Here you are. Have a nice day.”
I turned my attention back to clearing the table while she loaded the books to go home.
A few moments later, frustrated grunts drew my attention back to my daughter.
She was trying to put her backpack on. It looked very heavy.
“Do you need some help?” I asked.
“Yes! I can’t get it on.”
I helped her slide the second strap onto her shoulder.
“There. That’s a very heavy backpack. Did you put the books in it?”
Obviously she had.
She groaned. “Owe. My shoulders.”
“You might want to take some of the books out.”
“No. Owe. My shoulders.”
She slung the backpack to the floor.
I stooped, reaching for the zipper. “Here. Let me help.”
I removed all but 5 of the books.
“It’s still pretty heavy, but I think you can carry it now.”
“No! I want all the books.”
I handed her the backpack. “Let’s leave out the heavy ones. Otherwise it’s too heavy.”
“No.” She knelt determinedly beside the backpack and squeezed all the books back in.
She rose, struggling to put it back on.
“It’s too heavy!”
I sighed. “There is nothing I can do to help if you don’t take some books out.”
That got me thinking…
Do I have a mental backpack I have loaded up and am trying to lug around?
Is God looking at me saying, “If you would just let Me help, I would lighten your load”?
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said,
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (NIV)
How wonderful it is that Jesus offers me rest from being weary and burdened!
Am I experiencing that rest? Or is my stubborn self-reliance getting in the way of my receiving that rest?
My daughter’s behaviour exemplifies this so clearly.
She was determined to stuff her backpack full of books and then carry it. The backpack was far heavier than she could reasonably carry.
I wanted to help her. I wanted to lighten her load. In fact, I did step in to take some of the weight out of the backpack.
Yet what did she do? She immediately put those books right back into the backpack. She wanted to carry the full load.
Before I shake my head at my little one’s stubborn relentlessness, I need to pause and look at my own life.
Am I experiencing the rest Jesus is offering me? Or have I taken on far more than I was meant to carry?
Is Jesus pleading with me to hand over my burden to Him?
In 1 Peter 5:7 I am urged to be “casting all [my] cares on Him, because He cares about [me].” (CSB)
That is an on-going action, not “I did it once in the past and now I’m set.”
I must continue casting my cares on Jesus daily… hourly.
Am I living this out as I ought? No. I have a long ways to grow in this area.
That said, will you join me today in asking God if there is any burden you are carrying that He wants to help you to put down?
Then get up, go about your day, and wait to see what He will say to you as you continue to seek Him through the Bible, prayer, and fellowship with other Christians.
I will do the same.