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Footprints: What Do You Carry? Part 1

I have been thinking a lot about that poem ‘Footprints in the Sand,’ specifically those last few lines where it says; “When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

Me being me, I couldn’t help but compare it to when the boys and I were at the beach this past October and Owen would ask me, when his legs grew tired, if I would carry him. Anyone who has carried a toddler knows you never just carry the toddler; you carry everything of interest to a toddler. The blanket (in this case the beach towel), the favorite stuffed animal (or stuffed animals), the sippy cup, the half-eaten chocolate chip waffle, the favorite toy at that moment (or toys – in this case, it was this hard plastic surfer guy complete with a surfboard and pet – that when thrown into the ocean would come back to you, but since his brother’s surfer hadn’t come back we weren’t letting this one go…).

All of this to say I was carrying more than just Owen while walking on shifting sands and it was exhausting and uncomfortable and awkward and it got me thinking in the most troublesome times of our lives when God is carrying us what also are we carrying?

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 ESV)

In college, I read a story by Tim O’Brien called ‘The Things They Carried.’ I got to thinking about it when I started to sit down to write this. It’s about a company of American soldiers over in Vietnam and the things they carried through their marches – some of it was necessary for their survival, some of it not (superstition or nostalgia or vices). The main character, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carries letters, pictures, and a pebble from a girl he loved back home and throughout the story he comes to the realization that his fantasizing of this girl resulted in his negligence of keeping the members of his company alive.

What do we carry?

“… all the mysteries and unknowns, there was at least the single abiding certainty that they would never be at a loss for things to carry.” (Tim O’Brien ‘The Things They Carried’)

We carry a lot in this life – whether it be tangible or not – we will never be at a loss for things to carry. We carry our feelings, our hurts, our stresses, our worries, our fears, our choices (good or bad), our memories, our ghosts. We carry our bags, our phones, our kids, our wallets, our keys, and our luggage (literal and figuratively), we carry things. We carry our dreams, our hopes, our aspirations, our reputations. We carry lots of things and yet despite whatever we may be carrying Jesus asks us to come to Him who are heavy laden. He knew. He knew we would carry things that the Father never intended for us to carry (John 16:33). He knew we would be burdened. He knew we would get distracted like Jimmy Cross. His request is simple lay them down. Surrender them to the Father.

“Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” (1Peter 5:7 ESV)

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22 ESV)

He knew.

This got me thinking, what does Jesus ask us to carry? Our cross (Matthew 16:24, Luke 9:23, Luke 14:27). Some of you might be thinking that means to take up our sins – so let me stop you there – Jesus already bore your sins on His cross. He’s asking you, He’s asking me, to put aside the things we carry, our plans and desires (all the things listed above) – surrender them at the Feet of the Father and carry our cross; our relationship with Him, our faith in Him, our trust in Him, our peace in Him. Similar to how I asked Owen to surrender his items in the wagon we brought to the beach; to trust me that I would get all of those things he cared about back to the beach house. Jesus is offering us the same in the form of our salvation – to trust Him for the plans that He has over our lives and to simply let Him carry us.

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,

all the remnant of the house of Israel,

who have been borne by me from before your birth,

carried from the womb;

even to your old age I am He,

and to gray hairs I will carry you.

I have made, and I will bear;

I will carry and will save.” (Isaiah 46:3-4)