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The Burden is Light.


Do you know the maximum amount that can be carried by a human being?  When I look this up via google, I find that in the 1930s a man named Paul Anderson lifted 6,270 lbs and stood up with it on his shoulders.  To put that in perspective, that is about the weight of a limousine or SUV.  But, the heaviest amount carried by a human over any distance was Patrick Baboumian who carried 1,216 lbs. over ten yards.  That is the equivalent of carrying a fully grown grizzly bear or picking up one of the little two seater cars you see occasionally see around town and carrying them across a large room.  I can not even fathom either of these feats.

And yet every day, I meet people who are carrying around weights that are too heavy to bear.  Worried about all things imaginable, they seem to have the weight of the world on their shoulders.  Maybe its their past, maybe it is fear, maybe its their worries, but they often seemed crushed by the weight.  In a world that often feels so very hostile and challenging, it important to remember that when we follow Jesus, God does all of the heavy lifting.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus tells those who seek to follow him, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, 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.”  Yet for most people, following Jesus seems challenging.  Many of us tend to focus on the burden of what we must take on or the challenge of what we must give up.  But, Jesus wants us to focus on the weight of the burden on our soul.  As we walk through this Lenten season I encourage you to give your burdens to God and let him have your load.  When you submit to his teaching and accept Jesus’ yoke the joy of being freed is beyond imagination.

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