Jesus begins to denounce the cities where he had performed miracles because they did not repent.  Even though they witnessed amazing healings and wondrous signs the people in those cities were unable to recognize Jesus for who he is.  The same is often true in our churches.  We can witness amazing miracles, the healing of people’s bodies, hearts and souls, yet not be moved to worship God.  We are often too slow to trust and too quick to be skeptics.

To these same people 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 in your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  When we trust in Jesus, he will take our burdens.

I have loaded my own shoulders with worries and cares that are not my rightful burden.  I have a Lord and Savior who will take them from me if I will entrust those cares to him.  If I am willing to give up control to my God then my burden will be lightened, and I will have rest.

I try, I worry, I fail, I hope, I agonize, I control, I do, I decide.  If I place my efforts, worries, failures, hopes, agonies, needs, deeds, and decisions on God’s shoulders, we will all be better off.  God is able to accomplish what I am only able to be burdened by.

This year Marie drives back and forth
from the hospital room of her dying friend
to the office of the adoption agency.

I bet sometimes she doesn’t know
what threshold she is waiting at –

the hand of her sick friend, hot with fever;
the theoretical baby just a lot of paperwork so far.

But next year she might be standing by a grave,
wearing black with a splash of
banana vomit on it,

the little girl just starting to say Sesame Street
and Cappuccino latte grande Mommy.
The future ours for a while to hold, with its heaviness –

and hope moving from one location to another
like the holy ghost that it is.

***http://www.panhala.net/Archive/Migration.html