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Heavy

(pronounced Heb’be)  

 “Bear one another’s burdens”

Galatians 6:2

 Viv, Emily, Lauren and I had traveled to Harrisonburg to spend the day with Jill and Obe.  Emily adores Aunt Jill and Uncle Obe.  They have a very cool playhouse above the sandbox, with swings and sliding board.  The only way up to the playhouse is by climbing a slanted wooden ladder.  Now to 2-1/2 year old Emily this was a very scary adventure but under Uncle Obe’s patient guidance Emily achieved the feat.  Aunt Jill even took a blanket, pillow and toys up to the playhouse much to her delight. 

 Throughout the day Emily began venturing up and down the ladder on her own. After one such trip she came into the house carrying the pillow and blanket with the toys wrapped up in it.  It was a big load for such a little girl and she informed us over and over that it was “heb-be”!  We were stunned.  There seemed to be no way she could carry the whole load by herself and not fall.  We asked her if she threw it down.  “No, heb-be”.  She kept pointing to her tummy and showed us how she held the load and leaned forward using her elbows to balance herself against the ladder.

 Whenever I think about what she had actually done I get a few “grandma” goose bumps!  But isn’t that just like us?  Sometimes we carry huge burdens all by ourselves because no one notices.  But more often we carry heavy burdens because we don’t ask for help! 

 I remember how alone I felt when our four-week old son Greg was ill.  I was at church standing off to the side listening to the endless chatter of visiting people.  I was carrying a very heavy burden alone because we didn’t want anyone to know that we were highly suspicious he very likely had the same genetic disease from which his older sister Karla had died.  We were waiting until we KNEW for sure.  If I had confided my anguish in one person, I could have had a supporting sister.

 I will never forget the Sunday our pastor took our burden to the congregation.  As the community of faith and our family gathered around us in intercessory prayer some of the weight melted off our shoulders.  Together we wept tears of sorrow, anguish and release.  We were still the ones who had to walk the difficult path but we now had supporters.  We had people who brought us meals, rode with me to the hospital and to the doctor’s office.  We had people who prayed for us and called just to see how our day was going.  We had people who stopped by for a visit or sent encouraging scripture or cards. 

One time the Amalek people came and fought with the children of Israel. Moses, Aaron and Hur went up on a high hill while Joshua led the people to war.  As long as Moses held up his hand Israel prevailed.  When he let them down, Amalek prevailed.  But Moses had a problem. His hands became very heavy and he could no longer hold them up by himself.  His friends took a stone and placed it for him to sit on and they stood, one on each side, and supported his arms.  Scripture says Moses’ hands were steady until the sun set in the evening. (Exodus 17:8-13)

Shortly afterwards, Moses had another lesson in burden bearing.  His father-in-law, Jethro, came for a visit.  After Jethro observed Moses sitting among the people acting as their judge from morning until evening he asked, “Why do you alone sit and judge the people?  What you do is not good.  Both you and the people will wear out.”  Then he gave Moses some wise advice.   Stand before God for the people and teach them His laws but select able men of truth to do the judging.  “If you do this, you will be able to endure and it will be easier for you for they will bear the burden with you.” Moses heeded his father-in-law’s timely advice. (Deut. 18)

 Paul admonishes us to bear one another’s burdens and in so doing we fulfill the law of Christ which is to love one another as God has loved us. (Galatians 5:14, 6:2

By Pat Hertzler

July 2002