RELEASING THE BURDEN
I know I looked ridiculous. I was walking partially bent over—like a little arthritic elderly lady. I couldn’t help it. I had a heavy backpack and we were walking uphill. We had missed the Saturday vegetable market because we had a kid’s crusade activity in a church near San José, Costa Rica, so we walked a few miles to the one that was for that Sunday. It was after church. It was hot. And like every street we walked in Costa Rica, it was uphill. Or so it seemed when walking.
I was out of breath. Jeff had his own backpack full that he was carrying. Each week, generally always on Saturday, we walked to the Feria Verde (super large farmers market-or fair). I had never before seen anything like this. It was amazing. Overwhelming at first until we learned which vegetable producers had the best prices and best vegetables.
The one thing that kept me trudging forward—I was stubborn. I had told Jeff I could carry my share as we added more vegetables to my backpack. He was carrying the larger bag on his shoulder, his legs longer and his agility was of course much better than mine. I meant to do my part. I might be huffing and puffing up the sidewalk –but I was still moving forward.
However, it got to a point after a while that I could barely get my breath and walk. My stubbornness had kept me from asking for help. He would turn and ask me, when I got further behind, how I was doing; “Oh, I’m fine”, I would say with as much convincing voice as I could muster. [If you and I were both honest, we know we've said that line when it just wasn't true.]
Anyway, at the point of tears and unable to catch my breath, I said, "I need help". He stopped and turned around, took my back pack and as he slid his arms in the straps he said, “you should have asked sooner”.
Yes, I probably should have. But I have always been one of those who would rather die trying to pull more than necessary, than ask for help. Until the last few years. I gained some wisdom along the way—somewhere in all the life changes we’ve had over the last 10 years to now, I have learned—ASK. We aren’t meant to walk this alone. The LORD has always and will always be ready to ease our burdens if we would only call on Him.
The minute Jeff took my backpack, I could stand up straight again. With my load lifted from my shoulders, I could walk faster and keep up with my long-legged sweet man. Just like Jeff was waiting until I asked (because I insisted—and he has been married to me long enough to know I like to try to do something on my own before I will admit I need help), God waits until we call on Him for help. There is no doubt He could take every single burden and we would never have to walk with a load, but I think we gain something from trying.
In every walk in Costa Rica, because we walked almost everywhere we went, I gained strength faster after chemo than I would have had I been home in the USA and not getting the physical—although extremely exerting—exercise each week.
We also gain endurance. The next time I had a heavy pack on my back, I could go a little further than before. Most of the time I made it all the way back home without asking for help—but Jeff kept my pack from being overly heavy. It had just the right amount of weight. I was helping him by sharing the load back to the apartment and I was being helped to gain endurance and stamina each time. The LORD was incredibly faithful in teaching me lessons along that journey—as He is now.
Let me share this wisdom: Don’t try and carry loads not meant for you to carry alone. We are living in times when the mental anxiety of all that is happening in the world is adding layers of heavy burdens in our minds as never before. A heavy heart and mind are just as difficult to maneuver on a daily basis as a heavy backpack would be. I have carried both. But I am learning to ASK for help.
I have carried my share and then some for years—but God is showing me constantly how to release the burdens, heartaches and grief to Him. And sometimes, I really listen.
We can’t help others if we are walking bent over under the load ourselves… and we are here to help guide others to the Truth. Jesus. He is the way-the truth and the life—and we can’t get to the Father except through His Son. Jesus.
Blessed be the Lord! Day after day He bears our burdens; God is our salvation. Psalm 68:19 HCSB
In that same verse, another translation says He "loads us with benefits" daily. His benefits are light. Our self-imposed burdens are not.
If I were sitting across from you today just heart sharing over coffee—I hope you would see the deep concern in my eyes as we talked. Don’t be like me and wait so long to ask for help with the burden. Nothing good or beneficial comes from that. I always like to envision Jesus sitting with us listening—before you leave your table with Him, wait for Him to speak to you. Sometimes it’s words…sometimes, it’s peace. The ability to draw in a deep
And one more thing before we finish—when you lay that backpack down at His feet…don’t bend down and pick it back up until He hands it back to you. He actually may unzip it and take some things out—unnecessary items. You probably already know what your unnecessary items are. But you’ve carried them because you didn’t know what else to do with them—lay them down at His feet. When He hands it back to you—it will be different. The items inside will be lighter—joy, peace, gratitude, graciousness, mercy, love and other things will begin to fill the pack as you release everything that is heavy to Him.
I am sure you and I will talk about this again—I’ve given you enough to ponder today. Unload the burden. Stand up straighter—don’t look at the ground—look up to the sky—Jesus is coming soon! I feel that with an urgency as never before!
© Angie Knight. All rights reserved. Used with permission in the 2021 October issue of StreetTalk Magazine, Chipley, Florida.
© Photography, Angie Knight, Costa Rica, 2017. All rights reserved.
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