I am really excited to share a few sneak peeks from my new book, Learnable Moments for Moms that came out last week! All of the stories in the devotionals are true, unedited, and unexaggerated. Since that is the case, I have many pictures that go along with the devotions that I couldn’t share in the book, but I can add into the teaser blog posts! I hope you enjoy this learnable moment!

Maya went through a phase in which anytime we would leave the house, she would gather things as she went to take with her. It would be anything that happened to be in her path—a stuffed animal, a sippy cup, a single shoe, her hairbrush, etc. We eventually had to come up with a rule that she could only walk out the door with one thing.

One day before the “one thing” rule was enacted, we were getting ready to go for a walk. Maya gathered up as many stuffed animals as she could carry. Walking out the door, she had five animals wrapped in her little arms—a monkey, a giraffe, a turtle, a sheep, and a baby doll. I told her that whatever she decided to bring, she would have to carry by herself. She agreed. We walked on the sidewalk and got seven houses down when she stopped.

“Are you tired?” I asked. Without answering, she laid down on her back in the middle of the sidewalk, arms still stretched around the animals. I stood awkwardly next to her as cars passed giving us strange looks, and a jogger went in the grass to get around us. We stayed there a good five minutes before she decided to get up and return home.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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 11:28-30 NIV

On our journey through life we carry a lot of burdens, things that we think we need to hold on to and carry with us. However, the reality is that carrying all of this is tiring. It keeps us from finishing our journey and experiencing the full adventure that God has for us. While we love the idea of Christ taking away our burdens, many times when we have the opportunity to leave them at his feet, we opt for holding on to them a little longer.

The problem is that in laying down our burdens, we are agreeing to take up the burden of Christ. We can refuse to do so for many reasons—fear of the unknown, pride in our own abilities, a sense of unworthiness, or an unwillingness to try a new way. While taking up the cross of Christ is not the natural action for our human nature, it will bring rest for our souls.

Father, help me to trust you with my burdens, releasing them fully to you as many times as is necessary to truly be free. Help me to overcome anything that stands in the way of me taking up the cross of Christ. Thank you for the rest that you promise for my soul.

What burden do I need to relinquish today?

If you enjoyed this devotion and want to read the other 99, the book, Learnable Moments for Moms, is available at our Shop, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Books A Million!