My 11-year-old son loves to pick up heavy things. He is growing more and more into his “man” body instead of his “boy” body and so he likes to measure his growth by picking up heavier and heavier things. He can pick up my wife for instance. He can even pick up my wife and carry her a few steps. He can pick me up, but he can’t yet carry me. The day is surely coming.
Here’s the thing that I love … my 11-year-old son still loves to be carried. My wife can’t do it. But I can. I can pick him up and carry him (at least from the couch to his bed) and he loves it! And I love to do it. I love to carry him and the smile it brings to his face.
I wish I was a bit more like him.
Consider these lists: Things I can carry and things I can’t.
Considering these lists seems to be a weekly (if not daily) occurrence. I keep trying to pick up more. Carry more. It’s good. I was made to carry things. Jesus made me to carry things. I try to only carry what he wants me to carry. But I am carrying an awful lot. Maybe more than I should. I’m carrying a packed schedule: meetings, baseball, track, small group, fathering, husbanding (is that a word). I’m carrying the weekly burden of preaching: studying a text, listening to Jesus, considering our people, formatting, organizing, trying again. I’m carrying certain fears: that I’ll disappoint people, that things won’t work out. That things will get worse.
Goodness. I carry a lot. And I’m usually a little disappointed that I can’t carry more. Seriously. I want to carry more – even if my hands are full.
The trap here is to get focused on me. What CAN I carry? What CAN’T I carry? Am I carrying the right things or the wrong things?
There are two more lists that I really ought to be considering. Two more lists that would make me a bit more like my 11-year-old. Two more lists that would bring me joy instead of burden.
The lists? Things that God can carry. And things that he can’t.
Wow. Game changer. I really don’t take enough time each week, each day to consider what it is that God carries and how much he enjoys carrying it. Now, in general terms, the items on these lists are obvious. In general. What does God carry? Everything. Things he can’t carry? Nothing.
But then you consider the specifics and the lists get pretty cool.
I made you, and I will care for you.
I will carry you along and save you.
Is 46:4
God carries me. He carries all the details about that schedule. He carries the burden of weekly preaching. He carries those fears. He made me. He loves me. He carries ME! He will save me, protect me from any trouble I might face.
There is SO much freedom here! So much rest. So much pressure relieved. He carries me. He loves, enjoys, wants to carry me.
Try it! Make four list. 1) What I can carry. 2) What I can’t. 3) What God can carry. 4) What God can’t.
Then rejoice and live in freedom! Rejoice in a God who loves you, made you and enjoys carrying you.
