Over the years that my husband and I have been married, my father-in-law has taken a lot of joy in telling me about the time that he and my husband, Jasper, were at the grocery store. I believe Jasper was 2 or 3 at the time, and Jasper was insistent that he was going to carry the gallon of milk to the checkout counter. My father-in-law placed the gallon of milk on the floor and watched as his little boy began to try with all of his might to lift the gallon of milk.
After several tries, and no success, Jasper finally relinquished and looked to his father and said, “Hebby Daddy. Hebby Daddy. Help me.” With a laugh, my father-in-law gladly picked up the gallon of milk that his young son was unable to carry- and honestly, it wasn’t meant for him to carry.
As I think about this story, I am drawn to Matthew 11:28-30
“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.”
I think we can all imagine how cute it would be to watch a small, determined little boy try to carry a gallon of milk to the front of the store, especially because we all know it wouldn’t happen. Jasper was not physically able to carry that milk, and as long as he stood there trying to carry something that he was never meant to carry, he remained stagnant. In his constant efforts of striving to lift the impossible, there’s no doubt that exhaustion, fatigue, frustration and defeat would become quick companions.
Sometimes, I think we also make the same attempts in our lives with our heavy situations and circumstances that mirror a small child trying to carry a gallon of milk. How often do we try to carry things that were never meant for us to carry, remain stagnant, and then make exhaustion, frustration, and discouragement our companions??How often to we choose to try and “do it ourselves” instead of stopping and saying, “Heavenly Father, today I give to you what I cannot bear, what I cannot carry. Help me!”
We were not made to carry all the burdens this life has to offer , no matter how big or small they may be, and Jesus tells us to come to Him, and He will give us rest.
When we become aware of what’s heavy in our lives , God has provided us with a solution that is quite simple, but one that requires the faith to say, “Heavy Father. Heavy Father. Please help me.”
