The Other Side

I woke up the other morning to an email from my library. Overdue book.  Two weeks overdue.

And even if you calculate out the fine, that’s really not that bad.  That should never be enough to push me over the edge, but it was the final pull at an already teetering jenga game. 

I felt overwhelmed with life.  With my job, commitments, papers already being due, finding out I was already behind in some classes, and so on.  Does life ever pile up and feel like a mountain you can’t climb?  And even when life looks and feels happy, its all these little things that can add up to some bigger feeling like: I am not capable.  I can’t do it.  I won’t succeed.

What do we do with these lies that the devil tells us? 

I keep getting this picture in my mind…I am carrying everything, my papers, my job stress, my plans for the future, and it is teetering and I am trying to juggle it all…and I come to the cross.  And one by one, I set each of them down.  I place all my school work at the foot of the cross.  I lay down my worries for the future.  (I put the overdue book there, too).  My job, my ministries, my relationships, everything.  And then I leave them there.  It is easy to say we are going to lay down our burdens, but don't we often just pick them right back up again?

But this time, its permanent.  I put them down on the ground, and then I walk to the other side of the cross.

Ever thought about the other side of the cross? 

For me this illustrates freedom.  Freedom to walk in the salvation that Jesus bought for us.  Freedom to leave our worries and burdens and continue on lighthearted.

I picture us walking in this freedom while Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  (Matthew 11:28-30).

I felt guilty at first.  Jesus…you already had to carry the weight of the world’s sin on your shoulders, how can I ask you to carry more? 

But He wants to take all of it.  That is why He died.  So that we could leave all our heaviness and walk lightly into freedom.  He is capable of carrying it all for us.  He wants to take our burden, and give us the ability to run, dance, frolic, skip, whatever – in the bright light of the Son on the freedom side of the cross.