Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
I must have looked a sight, a 20-year-old weighing 120 pounds dragging a 100-pound suitcase onto the streets of New York City. Having traveled several hours on a bus overnight, I had a layover before heading for Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The years have smudged the details, but I do recall a strange man asking if he could carry the mammoth piece of luggage up several flights of stairs for me. I agreed, and halfway up what seemed fifty flights in that dark stairwell, I realized this man could have killed me or worse, and my family, over a thousand miles away in Memphis, would never have known what happened. Reaching the desired floor, he dropped the bag, and I paid him handsomely, as much from gratitude for not murdering me as for saving my young back and shoulders.
Some of you are carrying a mammoth load of baggage from your past, and Jesus wants to carry it for you. The offer sounds wonderful, but either you’re not sure you can trust Him with it, or you’re not sure how to let Him relieve you. My friend, it’s hard to trust someone you don’t know, even Jesus. Get to know Him by reading the Bible. I suggest reading Luke because you’ll see how much compassion He has for hurting people like you. Then consider reading John which comes right after Luke. The love in those chapters can soften your hardest spots and coax your anger, hurt, and confusion into His healing light without shame. I dare you to try it!
If your spirit has been burdened a long time, the thought of releasing it may seem more frightening than the familiar misery of holding onto it. Jesus loves you and wants so much better for you than the life you’re living. He wants you to experience ongoing joy and a lightness that frees you, not just to survive, but also to dance.
Healing can feel like a surgery at first, but then it brings new life. Let Him do what He does best (besides protecting naive, 20-year-old commuters); let Him carry all your burdens.