Picture This – Holding On

Given Summer of 2007

You see a man or woman walking along a road carrying a large, heavy sack.  The sack is dark in color and full of something because you can see the misshapen size of it.  You know it’s heavy because the person is struggling with it, occasionally shifting it from their arms to their shoulders and back.  They are walking slowly and are having a hard time with this load.

They meet a man going in the opposite direction.  This man is tall, dark hair and beard, wearing long white robes and sandles.  He appears to be very nice and kind with a loving smile on his face.  They stop to talk as the person looks up under the load of their big sack.  The man says, “That’s a big load you’ve got there friend.  Here, I’ve got something for you.”  He reaches into his robe and pulls out a very ornate and beautiful box and offers it the the person.  They say, “What’s this, what’s in there?”  The man opens the box and the person’s eyes get big as they see unimaginable good things inside.  “Wow,” they say, “that’s for me?”  The man says, “Yes, but you have to do something.  You have to lay down that load you’re carrying and take it.”

The person looks at their sack as they shift it to the other shoulder and says, “I’ve had this thing for a long time and it’s a part of me. Can’t you put the box in my pocket or just set it on top of the sack?”  The man says, “No, I’m sorry, you have to let go of that stuff to take this.”  The person looks back at their heavy sack, pauses for a long few seconds, and finally says, “Well, I guess I’ll have to pass.  But thank you anyway.”  They then hobble on down the road carrying their heavy load as the man watches them go, shaking his head in sorrow.

What are you holding on to? “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.  ” Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7.