Laptop

Following our adventurous journey from Moldova to Brodina to collect our kids from their grandparents.....

We got to the bottom of the mountain that Mari's folks live on - it's about 2Km to the top and it feels like walking up at a 60 degree angle.

It was 11.00 pm and pitch dark and torrential rain when we got there.

As we loaded up ourselves for the trek up the mountain everyone objected to the 6kg of baggage I had decided to bring with me - my laptop.

"It's too hard a trip in this weather..... You'll never get to the top carrying that weight...... What do you need a laptop for?"

Undeterred by everyone's objections I set off carrying my 6kg burden.

Now as many of you know I have asthma and that together with the conditions meant that by the time we had got about 2\3 up the mountian I was exhausted and could go no further.

Nobody said anything - they didn't have to - the cracking of the thunder seem to say "we told you so"

Then Iulian, our driver, who himself was carrying about 7kg offered to take my laptop and carry it to the top.

At first I didn't want to give it to him. Why? Because I felt so guilty. It was my own stubborness and refusal to listen to advice that had gotten me into this mess and now should some else suffer the consequences? It wasn't fair and I felt guilty and too ashamed to give the laptop to him.

But then I realised something about Iulian. He wasn't judging me. He wasn't saying "I'll take your laptop while thinking "but I hope you realise how bad and undeserving you are of the help"

No. Iulian, I know, loves me and I knew his only intention in the offer was that he wanted, out of love, to liberate me from the burden so I'd be free to get home.

Then I thought to myself how often we are like this with Jesus.

We have some sin we are carrying or mess we got ourselves into that was our fault and that we are guilty for.

Jesus comes and says give it to me. I died on the cross for you so I could take this burden from you. I did it not so I could make you feel guilty for the cost of your sins but so that I could, in love, remove them from you as far as the East is from the West and so set you free.

The joke is I still didn't give my laptop to Iulian. The reason? Pride. I a 54 yr old man wanted to look as good as the 29 yr old Iulian and get to the top myself carrying the 6kg.

And again I thought how often we also do this with Jesus. We carry some burden - some bad habit or failing or inadequacy and instead of coming to Him to lift the burden our pride says no I can do this myself.

So I gave my laptop to Iulian and got to the top of the mountain with joy. It still wasn't easy ( our Christian lives aren't ) but it was a whole lot easier than carrying that extra 6kg that Iulian had.

Reminds of that old hymn

"What a friend we have in Jesus.

All our sins and griefs to bear

....

Oh what peace we often forfeit

Oh what needless pain we bear

All because we do not carry

Everything to Him in prayer

Pastor Mark