Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28–30.) …
If you follow this blog you already know that my son has been sick for 7 years. On top of all his other issues, we recently found out that he has parasites. These particular parasites can cause blindness. They literally get in the eye. It’s really rather gross and disturbing for a young boy. The thought of blindness instantly caused him extreme stress. How does one get past that? He started thinking about everything he uses his eyes for and came to the realization that he will not be able to do anything.
As much as I told him there’s no reason to worry at this time; wait until there something to worry about, he couldn’t let it go. It had not been determined if the parasites were in his eyes yet, although due to the length of time that Luke had lived with these parasites the chance of them being in his eyes was high, and he knew it. Nothing could calm him down.
I finally sat him down and explained that Mom and Dad love him more than we love ourselves. We are very concerned and plan to fight a hard battle to get the best care. I explained that we don’t know the results yet, but we are planning on the worst case scenarios so that we are prepared to advocate for his health. I explained that if dad and I are already carrying the burden, he didn’t need to, he could just hand it to us, and let us carry it for him.
He listened!
From that moment on, he never brought it up again! He went back to his normal routines, and I could tell that he accepted the invitation from his loving parent to carry a burden that was too much for him.
Mark and I where thrilled that we could finally do something for Luke. We can’t take his headaches, or his stomachs aches, and we can’t be fatigued for him, but we could carry the extra weight. When he let go of those things that we could carry for him, he found relief. He was able to endure the pains of his illness with an added strength.
This was such an example of what we all have available to us. Christ is begging us to hand him our burdens, pains, worries, concerns, frustrations, grudges, etc. Let him carry them for us, so that we are strong enough to endure the trials we need to face that will ultimately make us stronger. It is our choice whether we accept His invitation. If we will accept, we will find instant relief. The load is already being carried, the price has been paid.
“Bear, borne, carry, deliver. These are powerful, heartening messianic words. They convey help and hope for safe movement from where we are to where we need to be–but cannot get without assistance. These words also connote burden, struggle, and fatigue–words most appropriate in describing the mission of Him who, at unspeakable cost, lifts us up when we have fallen, carries us forward when strength is gone, delivers us safely home when safety seems far beyond our reach. “My Father sent me,” He said, “that I might be lifted up upon the cross; … that as I have been lifted up … even so should men be lifted up … to … me.” – Jeffrey R. Holland
Of course, obligations go with such promises. “Take my yoke upon you,” he pleads. In Biblical times the yoke was a device of great assistance to those who tilled the field. It allowed the strength of a second animal to be linked and coupled with the effort of another animal, sharing and reducing the heavy labor of the plow or wagon. A burden that was overwhelming or perhaps impossible for one to bear could be equitably and comfortably be borne by two bound together with a common yoke. His yoke requires a great and earnest effort, but for those who truly are converted, the yoke is easy and the burden becomes light.
Why face life’s burdens alone, Christ asks, or why face them with temporal support that will quickly falter? To the heavy laden it is Christ’s yoke, it is the power and peace of standing side by side with a God that will provide the support, balance, and the strength to meet our challenges and endure our tasks here in the hardpan field of mortality. -Howard W. Hunter
*** My son’s test came back and the parasites are not in his eyes! 🙂
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