Soul Kitchen

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden 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".
Matthew 11:28-30(NIV)

John W Peterson wrote a hymn in 1958. As I reflect on the words of the song, it reminds me of my journey. I was 10 years old, a stranger in this world, and carrying a burden a child should never have to carry.

"A pilgrim was I and a wandering
In the cold night of sin I did roam,
When Jesus the kind Shepherd found me
And now I am on my way home..."

From the time I was a small child, our family was continually on the move. By the time I was 13, I had been enrolled in 7 different schools. We finally settled down in one place but by that time my traveler's backpack was full of stuff, some of it too dirty or shameful to touch. I was continually looking in at it through the eyes of a child and shoving other stuff on top of it; hoping it would just go away. I didn’t dare bring it out of the bag… what a mess that would be. So I kept it hidden deep down in the bottom. And yes, I guarded that bag with my life. I couldn’t share with anyone what was in the bag for fear I would get a beating. Or even worse, the looks of accusation, or you brought this on yourself. As a child, I knew the cost of exposure... so I pondered things in my heart.

By the time I entered high school, the weight of that bag became almost too heavy to bear. I now clung to it so tightly that if anyone got too close to me I would put the bag between myself and them. I could not take the bag to my parents… they would just shove it in with all of their bags and blame me for adding to their burdens. As I began to figure all of this out, I realized it was best to keep the bag hidden… or at least put some sort of cover over it and make it as attractive as possible. I camouflaged it with smiles, and laughter, and smiley faces. I would shove my school books in on top of my gym strip and hope that no one would notice that my backpack was bulging at the seams.

That’s how Jesus found me...alone, desperate, and in the dark with a pack so
heavy it brought me to my knees. Jesus tried to convince me to give it to
Him… but I was fearful. I had never trusted anyone before. So I kept holding on to the bag.

Day after day Jesus came to me until one day I saw the deep compassion and sorrow of His heart. He loved me... He felt my pain... He knew what was in the bag and He loved me anyway. As He took the weight of it all upon His shoulders, I felt free for the first time in my life. Free from the sins of others… and free from my own sins.

Romans 4:7-8 says,"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him"(NIV).

How wonderful to walk in freedom! Why are we so prone to fill up another backpack of smelly stuff. What are you carrying around that is so heavy on your heart… the very thought of it brings feelings of nausea and despair. Let it go. Give it to the One who loves you like no other.

Jesus says, "Come... ".