“Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” Psalm 55:22 (NLT)
Wander
Early this summer our youngest grandson lost most of his small intestine due to an undetected diaphragmatic hernia. As a result, he now receives all his nutrition through a permanent central line which he is hooked up to for 16 hours a day.
Long tubing extends from his chest and stomach to a back pack which contains the life-sustaining liquid and his pump. Can you imagine what it’s like to try and keep up with a one year old who is constantly on the go while carrying the bag and attempting to keep the lines from becoming tangled on his feet and toys? It’s a challenging and honestly, exhausting endeavor. That is, until today!
For the very first time since his medical emergency, this remarkable little boy, with everything tucked in a little pack behind him, was able to just wander about with no more entanglement and no one constantly following after him. He has a new found freedom to now choose the direction he will go.
You know, as Christians, we can also find ourselves hooked on things that ensnarl and trip us up. When we are connected to anything, even good things, more than we are to our life-sustaining relationship with God, we can suddenly find ourselves at the end of our rope, feeling as if there’s no where left to go.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
Hebrews 12:1-2a (NIV)
Trying to keep up in life with all the twists and turns is often challenging for me. You too? It’s easy to feel weighed down and held back by our weaknesses and worries. I think you’ll agree, we can feel just plain worn out. Until that is, Jesus! Jesus, who calls us to come to Him because His burden is light and He provides much needed rest.
Our grandson is truly a walking miracle! His life has forever changed but by God’s grace he’s learning to adapt one step at a time. In some ways it’s much the same for you and me. Through the miracle of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection we can answer Jesus’ call and step into new life with Him, the One who packs up our sins, frees us from their bondage, and teaches us the direction we should go and when we do? That my friends, is where we’ll find we’ve been forever changed, too.
