What are you carrying?

What is your dream car? Is it a sedan? Or is it vintage sports car of some type? Something with some zip to it that could lead to speeding tickets… that is if they can catch you? Or are you longing for a SUV so you can haul all of your toys as you travel?

Surprisingly, I remember a day when I longed for a minivan. When I had little children and had to haul half of the house with us when we traveled, the Honda Odyssey Minivan was the dream car. Now, 273,000 miles later, not so much. I’m holding out for something smaller.    

When my son and I were in Paris two summers ago, we were walking down the Champs Elysées when my son started slapping my arm,

Oh, my gosh. Mom, LOOK! I never thought I’d actually see one of those.”

One of those happened to be a Bugatti, one of the fastest and most expensive sports cars ever made. It’s a James Bond kind of car. Who wouldn’t want to take a spin in one, right? Needless to say, because I had my camera ready at all times, I scored major mom points by snapping a fabulous picture of the car before the light turned green and it left us in the dust.

Do you think as many people would respond the same way over an 18-wheeler with a heavy load?

You know those double loads that make it nearly impossible to navigate and turn corners without taking things out. I’m sure it takes a long time to get one of those rolling when the light turns green, unlike the Bugatti that was gone in a flash. Navigating a big truck with a heavy load is hard. It takes a lot of strength and determination and can be exhausting at times.

Could you imagine a Bugatti trying to haul those storage units? It would seem impossible. They would crush it. If the weight didn’t take the Bugatti out, it would certainly make it impossible to see what was in front of you because of the load blocking the view.

It’s clear to see how hard it is to maneuver a huge truck with a heavy load. We can also agree a Bugatti would never do it. We get it. Most would prefer the smaller sports car that can zip in and out of things and get us where we are going if given the choice.

But what about in life? Do you carry a heavy load?

Maybe something that was never intended for you to carry in the first place? Is it making it difficult to see where you’re going? Or have you completely lost sight of the road?

So many times we are overwhelmed in life because we take on things God never intended for us to carry? In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says,

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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.”

In Psalm 55:22, He says,

Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.”

And in 1 Peter 5:7, we read,

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

When the Lord tells you something once, it’s important; however, when He tells you over and over and over, He is driving home His point. He knows the enemy would just love to keep heaping things on you, weighing you down so you cannot move or so he can take you out [John 10:10, 1 Peter 5:8].

God never intended to burden you. In fact, He intended to carry them for you, but you have to give them to Him.

What are you carrying that you don’t need to carry? Take a pit stop at the foot of the cross and give it to the One who is big enough to take it on and not skip a beat. He’s waiting.