Carry Me, Daddy

1009358_hopeThis past Sunday, I was at the coffee maker in our church foyer grabbing a cup of Joe. My 2 1/2 year old daughter was with me at the time. After doctoring my coffee I was ready to head back into the church to survey where my seat was, what my other family members were doing and mingle a bit before the service started. I reached down to take my daughter’s hand to lead her with me. Instead of taking my hand, though she looked up at me reaching with both hands and said, “Daddy, carry me.”

Walking With (Following) God

God seems to speak to me a lot through my children lately, so here is a little parallel that I took away from this very small interaction. As Christians (children of God) we should strive to follow in His footsteps. We should walk with Christ. The bible says:

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
Matthew 4:19

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
1 John 1:5-7

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
2 John 1:6

Carry Me, Daddy

Sometimes, just as my daughter felt, it is hard to walk. Perhaps life has beaten me up or I am just weary from the constant strain and struggle of walking on this Earth. It is comforting to know that we can reach up to the heavens and ask of our heavenly father, “Carry me.” Jesus said this in Matthew:

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 11:29-30

You will find rest for your souls! Many times, I just need a rest. Just as I was all too happy to pick up my daughter and carry her, God is eager and willing to reach down and carry us. He still requires that we obey Him, but when we let God lead (carry) us He does all the heavy lifting. Isn’t that awesome? The Creator of this vast universe cares when I get tired and weary and He wants to help me so that I can have rest.