Another crutch has painfully been removed. The last one? Probably not. I’ve discovered that there are lots of them. I’ve kept them stacked in the corners of my life and pulled each one out when needed. Some of those crutches were people, some were dreams and hopes, and some were inanimate objects. All of them I thought necessary to maintain the ability to walk through life.
This particular crutch I leaned upon quite heavily. How did I become so dependent upon it? When did it become so intrinsic to me? When did I pick it up? I don’t remember. I realize now that my walk was a little off balance, a little a-kilter, and skewed to one side. Walking with that crutch had become such a way of life that I no longer noticed it at my side. It was like a part of me and I felt quite comfortable with it under my arm, supporting me on the road of life.
My Savior allowed me to carry and lean upon that crutch; all the while whispering to me, “I can take that and you can lean on me instead. I can help you walk upright again and I’ll walk beside you through it all.” What a precious, precious Savior! Never chiding me for carrying the crutch. Never belittling me for my ignorance in thinking I needed the crutch. Never pushing or demanding that I give up the crutch. Always gently reminding me, “…take MY yoke…my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Let‘s trade.”
At some point recently He began walking ahead of me and placing objects in my path; objects meant to be difficult, but only when using my crutch. These objects along my journey began to make me uncomfortable with my crutch. I became frustrated with the rocks and obstructions on the road. I realized that I could only easily navigate if I laid the crutch down. But in my stubbornness I crawled over and around the obstacles, clutching my crutch, trying to prove to Him that it was necessary to me. I arrived on the other side of each stumbling-block bruised, battered, bloody and desperately clinging to the only thing causing my difficulty. He would lovingly pick me up, dust me off, set me on my feet, bathe and dress my wounds and we’d set out together again.
I began to pay attention to those times when my crutch caused me pain and finally grew tired of the struggle. Realizing it was the source of my discomfort, I turned to my Savior and asked Him to take it. I painfully lifted the arm that had been holding it so tightly and He slowly and gently removed it.
He graciously allowed me to cry and grieve the loss of my crutch before we began to move on. He placed one arm around me and the other beneath the now crutch-less arm and we began walking together. I find that I have no strength in that area where I had leaned upon my crutch. I do not remember how to walk without it and I am very dependent upon His support now, which is as it should be.
I have His undivided attention. He watches each step I take, much like a father holds the back of a bicycle while his child is riding on training wheels. We journey on together. He removes obstacles from my path, for now, until I have regained my strength and can walk easily beside Him. Eventually I’ll find that I'm walking upright again and we are hand-in-hand on this road. I know that if I stumble, He’ll pick me up. When I’m weak and weary, He’ll let me lean on Him again. What freedom there is now that the crutch-burden is gone!
What is your burden? What is your crutch? What is it that He lovingly asks you to give to Him? Is it a person you depend upon for happiness, a habit that numbs your pain, the desire to own "things" mistakenly thinking they validate your worth, or a dream that does not fall within His plan for your life? Whatever it is, give it to Him! He longs for you to experience the freedom and joy of walking without the added burden of the crutch you really never needed at all! "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
"O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me…You turned my mourning into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” (Psalm 30:2,11-12)
No comments:
Post a Comment