Carrying Twigs

The other day I was walking home from downtown and stopped to observe a bird building its nest. It had in its beak a twig about three times as big as itself, and it was trying to fly up to the tree. It would flutter its wings and get a few feet up into the air, but then landed back down on the snow pile again because it wasn't strong enough to carry the twig. It was almost like it was embarrassed to try in front of me. Whenever I looked at it, it just froze; when I turned away, it would try again. I had the urge to go over and break the small branch in half so it'd be easier for the bird to carry. But then I was afraid I might scare the bird away, or that I would break it into too small of a piece so it wouldn't be helpful for building the nest. So I ended up just walking away and coming home.

But the image stuck in my head, and I figured God might have something to teach me through it. The next day in class Matthew 11:28-30 came up, and I got it. "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.”

God revealed to me that I'm like that little bird. The saying "don't bite off more than you can chew" becomes more real when I consider this picture. Sometimes I feel like I'm trying to carry something that's way too big for me. It's heavy, it's awkward, it's a burden. But usually it's necessary, it's a building block for my life, character, and ministry, like the twig was for the bird's nest. And God, in his grace, usually does one of two things. Maybe he'll come up to me and break my twig in half so it's easier for me to handle. But I don't find that that happens very often. God usually has a purpose for me to walk through whatever I'm walking through, and he doesn't just "let me off the hook" when things get tough. Usually, he'll respond in another way...Jesus comes up beside me, puts the other end of the twig in his own beak, and flies with me up to the tree! He helps make my burden lighter. 

The rest that Jesus offers us isn't a rest that makes us passive or disengaged. Resting in him does not mean that we have no responsibility. Oswald Chambers says about this verse, “‘...and I will give you rest’--that is, ‘I will sustain you, causing you to stand firm.’ He is not saying, ‘I will put you to bed, hold your hand, and sing you to sleep.’ But, in essence, He is saying, ‘I will get you out of bed--out of your listlessness and exhaustion, and out of your condition of being half dead while you are still alive. I will penetrate you with the spirit of life, and you will be sustained by the perfection of vital activity.” Rest means that we can cease from our own striving and walk in Christ's vital strength.  As we wait (not passively, but with hope and anticipation) upon him, he will renew our strength by joining us in carrying the burden. 


Praying that you find true rest for your souls in him, 
-Kristyn & Mogi