{"id":229593,"date":"2024-04-11T12:18:27","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T16:18:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/?p=229593"},"modified":"2024-08-06T16:25:46","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T20:25:46","slug":"when-it-feels-too-heavy-to-carry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/when-it-feels-too-heavy-to-carry\/","title":{"rendered":"When It Feels Too Heavy to Carry"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cDetergent and creamer. Detergent and creamer.\u201d I reminded myself. Not that this was something I was trying to remember and recall – it was actually something I was trying to remember and not venture off from. You probably know this well: go into a store for one thing, leave with several additional items. Yeah, me too. You don\u2019t know you may need it until you see it sometimes. Not every time but the treat of picking up a bouquet of flowers for your table, the treat to surprise a child and \u201cshe just had a baby so I\u2019m sure a \u2018pick-me-up\u2019 from the bakery would be a sweet gesture\u201d. Then, there\u2019s the gum at checkout, the yogurt that was on sale that you know someone will eat and the peanut butter you remembered you were actually out of and should have been on the list in the first place. Before you realize it, your arms are full and now you\u2019re regretting you didn\u2019t grab a grocery cart when you first walked through the doors.<\/span><\/p>\n

You cheer yourself on by saying \u201clet me re-situate the groceries\u201d and \u201cten more steps and then I\u2019m at checkout\u201d and \u201coh gosh, my fingers is going numb from holding the bag of grapes on my pinky\u201d while tossing up a prayer that you don\u2019t drop something.<\/span><\/p>\n

How did detergent and creamer turn into this? Do I need it all?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I really wish I could say grabbing more than I originally needed and trying to make it without dropping anything doesn\u2019t happen that often but I confess it does.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll go even a little further and say that this goes beyond my grocery store experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

It happens in the way I manage my time. \u201cI can make that happen this afternoon and pull it off.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It happens with the way I view life. \u201cIf I can just make it through this season, I\u2019ll be okay.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It happens with the way I take on responsibilities, volunteering for positions, adding more to my plate than I know is possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before I know it, my arms are full (and not in the best way). There are some things I need to be carrying that I know I came for – like the detergent and creamer. But, let\u2019s be candid – there\u2019s a lot I\u2019m carrying that wasn\u2019t on the list. Some of which I can, and need, to put down. And others, I don\u2019t have the option other than to carry.<\/span><\/p>\n

And that\u2019s life. Carrying around things, picking up, dropping off, switching posture to make things more comfortable, grabbing what we think might be fun, trying to swap for something better every once in a while. Isn\u2019t it?<\/span><\/p>\n

To put it plainly, we\u2019re all carrying things in our arms. For some of us it\u2019s a job, a family, a dream, grief, difficulties, celebrations, expectations, fill in the blank. Some are light, some heavy, some clunky.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You know what these are for you best and I pray you take a moment to name them. As they come up in your mind, hold them for a moment. Imagine them being in your arms, sharp edges uncomfortably resting on your forearms, fingers bending to hold the weight. It might not even look like a lot at first but the longer they\u2019re held, the heavier they feel.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been curious, constantly intrigued because you and I have a lot in common: what we\u2019re carrying is heavy. Now that I know this to be true and we\u2019re on the same page about some of the truth of what we\u2019re carrying, can I propose a solution?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe the idea of \u201cfreedom\u201d from these things doesn\u2019t come from carrying them differently or solving the worlds biggest problems or learning how to cope and numb so we don\u2019t feel them at all. Maybe the \u201cfreedom\u201d comes from putting them down.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not suggesting we become all of a sudden irresponsible and neglect what\u2019s ours to hold. The heaviness of life does not come in a packaged board game box with a \u201cget out of jail free card\u201d when the dice you roll look different than you\u2019d hoped. I just don\u2019t want you to begin to think and eventually believe your only way to lighten your load is to \u201cget out\u201d and \u201cjump ship.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Through the messiness, there\u2019s something for you here. And if you\u2019re used to holding it all, more than you need, believing that the only way to be able to see the joy is to stop carrying it all – I have an idea for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

What if the \u201cfreedom\u201d we keep talking about doesn\u2019t look like solved problems but it looks like supporting it all differently than holding it with your bare arms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Grocery stores have grocery carts for a reason. To carry it all for us, to take it from aisle to aisle as we put stuff in and the physics of it all disperse the weight and make it all a bit more effortless.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s \u201cjoy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the gifts that God gives us to see life as fun and enjoy what\u2019s around us even though we\u2019re pushing heavy things around.<\/span><\/p>\n

It creates more margin to focus on the tasks at hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the levity to survive our hardest days.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the things you don\u2019t have a choice to carry or not (like the child with special needs, the messy divorce, the grief from the one you lost, the heartache you\u2019re left with when harsh words were said, when the dream isn\u2019t on your timeline) – may I suggest you place them in the cart?<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus invites us to set these things down and trust his mechanics over our \u2018muscling through\u2019. \u201cCome to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.\u201d Matthew 11:28<\/span><\/p>\n

So not only is it <\/span>available<\/span><\/i> to us, it\u2019s an invitation.<\/span><\/p>\n

My prayer for you is that \u2018joy\u2019 becomes so natural, so easy, a disciplined habit that it is just something you do and that you don\u2019t know any other way to grocery shop than to push a cart and set the heavy things inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

God is at work in our lives and would do anything to get our attention and bring us back to Him. The beautiful, show stopping moments that take your breath away, the glimpses that make you tilt your head and wonder how it worked out so perfectly that you were able to witness the beauty – let\u2019s have the room to see it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rachel Awtrey is a trailblazing influencer and podcaster who defies conventional norms by inviting her audience to peek behind the curtain of her life. Rachel is a mom of two little boys, a military wife and after moving 9 times in her 8 years of marriage, she knows a thing or two about making community wherever she is!<\/em><\/div>\n

\u00a0With an unwavering commitment to transparency, Rachel shares her personal journey, triumphs, and challenges, breaking down barriers and inspiring others to embrace their own authentic selves. Through her empowering content, she provides a unique blend of encouragement and practical tips, empowering her followers to navigate life’s obstacles with resilience and grace.<\/em><\/p>\n

In a culture that often encourages surface-level perfection, Rachel stands out by embracing vulnerability and embracing imperfections. Her refreshing approach creates a genuine connection with her audience, fostering a sense of community and reminding everyone that they are not alone in their struggles. With over 1.5 Million downloads, her chart-topping podcast, Real Talk with Rachel Awtrey (formerly Behind the Bliss Podcast) and social media platforms, Rachel is changing the game, dismantling societal expectations, and encouraging others to embrace their true selves while equipping them with valuable tools to thrive and find joy in every aspect of life.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cDetergent and creamer. Detergent and creamer.\u201d I reminded myself. Not that this was something I was trying to remember and recall – it was actually something I was trying to remember and not venture off from. You probably know this well: go into a store for one thing, leave with several additional items. Yeah, me\u2026 Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":339,"featured_media":229594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[427,1,400],"tags":[],"coauthors":[389],"class_list":["post-229593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-joy","category-life-advice","category-lo-library"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/339"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229593"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229593\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":229598,"href":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229593\/revisions\/229598"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/229594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229593"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=229593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}