In Pilgrims Progress, Christian
is weighed down by a burden. He is broke. He is bent double under his
load. You just know, he's about to crack.
Then, I picture my small rock collector,
happily collecting rocks and gems as fast as he can. He too is
carrying a lot and weighed down. He also bends under the weight, but
with items of worth, and we can't find enough bags to haul them all
home. They are not a burden to him. I need to live the message my
rock hound is displaying.
In Christ, I can and want to collect
rocks. I take the hard rocks of my life, the hard people, the
hard places, the hard trials and not only am I willing to collect
them, I start treating them like treasure.
In Pilgrim's Progess, Christian's
heavy burden of sin is taken from him at the cross of Christ. Oh,
the power of grace! In Christ, many of my rocks, struggles, and
challenges have become a sweet victory of peace, joy and hope. I
am healed. Yet, in Christ, I am not promised a life without
trials. That same grace, that took Christian's burden, allows me to
continue to shoulder burdens. For some burdens may never be removed.
The Apostle Paul struggled with a life long burden. As long as we are on earth,
we will struggle with trials and burdens. The trail will contain
rocks we trip over. Rocks that we and others add to our knapsack. We
do however have the opportunity to be transformed by these rocks.
I can choose to see them not as rocks,
but as precious gems. I can choose to stay on the trail. I want to
live a story worth telling. I don't really want to collect rocks. But
as they jostle in my knapsack, they become polished and precious
gems. Treasure. I do want treasure.
* Pictures from Wikipedia and Squidoo
