Hazel and I were walking together down our gravel, big-rock type driveway from checking the mail. I was walking above her, she was holding both my hands and walking as confidently as her little legs would carry her. In an instant, she reached down and grabbed a big rock. There was no warning, just an immediate stop to pick up (probably one of the biggest) rocks she saw.
Eager to be back on her way, she fingered it into my hand before grabbing what was left of my hand to hold on to, and off we went again.
I smiled and with a fervent nod of my head said, "Ooh, yes. Give me the rock. That's a very important rock."
My heart pondered this as two very distinct promptings entered my mind.
"How often do I, without thinking, pick up big rocks?" Burdens I don't need to carry, but I do ... just because. Things I feel need to be done (when they actually don't), thoughts I stew on (when they should be poured down the drain), or self-doubts that creep in (when they truly have no merit).
The next thought came almost immediately: "But you can give me all your rocks. They're very important rocks."
How often do I keep them all, thinking that I can shoulder the entire weight of them? I mean, it's just one little rock, right?
But it's not about feeling bad that we DO grab the rocks ... it's about feeling such an indescribable love that He even CARES about our rocks. He cares about them if they're important to us, but He also cares about us enough to help us dump them.
God says, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
He doesn't require us to come, having picked up 15 rocks to prove ourselves ready for hard tasks. Though I think God is grateful for those not afraid to roll up their sleeves, it's not a contest to see who can get theirs up faster.
“He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” –C. S. Lewis
Instead of paying a house call or some flashy extraterrestrial visit, God took up residence among us. Through Jesus Christ incarnate, God entered the world through the same doorway we do. Then He stuck around as long as we let Him, until we sent him out, dying, through the same exit we will go.
I think I'll struggle for a lifetime with picking up and letting go of my own rocks, but I do know that God is the ultimate spotter and He will never let us fall; we will only get stronger through allowing Him to help us.
Until we stop doubting God's goodness, we can't experience God's love. And truly, it rocks. ❤️
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