God, You Amaze Me: Eyes Up, Keep Balance.

Good morning y’all!

Do you know what happens when you carry two unevenly weighted bags?

You struggle.

That’s what I experienced walking home this week from the groceries, trying to juggle 3 bags. Mind you I strategically thought out how I would carry them home that morning. The heaviest on my right shoulder, the lightest on my left shoulder and the second heaviest bag gripping by my 2 hands, to my front – because your girls’ eggs were in that bag. Now I didn’t think much more of this. I wanted to make sure the bag to my front had my full attention.

I was already a few minutes into my walk, and I noticed the comfortability, well basically my struggle to keep the bags to stay in place on my shoulders.

But it was only after hitting the halfway mark on my journey, that I realised I needed to reconsider my approach. Because though at the time I thought to myself, “I’m all tough”. But logically it made no sense to work harder. I needed to be smarter…cuz at this rate I felt for sure the walk was taking twice as long as normal. So I simply decided to put the second heaviest to my left shoulder and hold at my front the lightest bag.

A simple change.

And sure enough. Though I was still carrying the same weight. It was easier, the bags didn’t fall off my shoulders. Making it feel lighter.

I was finally grounded. Balanced.

That’s when it hit me…

That even the Bible mentions about being equally yoked [2 Corinthians 6:14]. Now this is my Golden Nugget for the week, as the actual meaning of being equally yoked, is talking about the oxen. How when two people come together, they need to be of the same heart and mind.

But I experienced this, in terms of agriculture where two oxen would be joined together to pull a heavy load. Where they share each others burden. For if one ox wanted to go another way, how could they do the work in the fields?

Just like me and walking with bags. They need to be equal.

You could probs relate. Have you ever found it awkward to carry a single heavy bag? Maybe it was helping your mum with the groceries from the car? Perhaps you grabbed more than one bag to make a one trip. Or maybe it was a bucket of water to clean your car, or paint or plaster glue… which are all heavy btw.  

Surely you have experienced at least one of these. If not, then chances are you strategically have people and close loved ones who help.

But if you have experienced this, you would know that carrying just the one bag or bucket alone is difficult, because the weight strain. The weight isn’t even distributed. So your forcing yourself to stay balanced…

Off topic but have you seen princesses for correct posture carry books on their head? Maybe in a Barbie movie…or even old times and still in some places, women carrying water jars on their heads? Now that’s true balance and hard work. But it promotes – and Google would tell you, that its good for efficient weight distribution.

But while that’s good, there’s this African proverb – “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

See the water jar on your head, is you going alone. You will go fast. But to thrive until the end, you need to be like oxen. For 2 are better than one. For 2 people can go far.

Okay, now back on track.

While you might not have a partner, that’s okay. But for you and I, even spiritually we are like those who carry baggage. Our own worries, concerns, fears, etc. the list goes on. By ourselves, we cannot go far. But with God, with Him we can go far. Living in the world of sin is hard. And we are not called to go and walk this journey alone.

For God is loving and He can help us carry things that the world throws at us – and we so happen to take hold of. Because it’s with Him, all things are possible.

Without Him, sure we can try balance the weight, like in my story how I tried for a time. But you cannot go far. You will be battling against yourself – which I lowkey was doing. Haha talking myself that I have to get home, I wasn’t gonna stop.

But it comes down to – Do I rely on God?

Because when you do, things begin to shift. What once was heavy to carry or felt like a big worry, now becomes lighter. The worries of the world seem to fade – though they are still there. I am not saying to ignore the reality. But worries will worry about themself.

As you behold the Creator. Our Father who is in heaven. The feeling, worries, weight will shift.

This week, what’s weighing you down? How will you give it to God?

God, you amaze me!

E

2 Corinthians 6:14 NIV

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?