Life Bearable

And he said, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers." Luke 11: 46

My son sent me an email this morning about my grandson. One of my daughter-in-law’s friends was planning her wedding and called to see if he would be the ring bearer for the service. Mom said yes, but after she hung up the phone and told him about it, he said emphatically, "No!" He wouldn't give her a reason; he just refused. Then, when my son tried to approach the subject with my grandson, he again refused. So, my son did what dads sometimes do in moments of desperation; he decided to bribe him. Video games, quality time, treats, whatever he could think of but my grandson's answer? No! And it was emphatic!

This past weekend the soon-to-be bride and groom were hosting a barbeque. Thinking it might help the situation with their son, they decided to forego the babysitter and take the kids along. True to his sweet nature, he quickly became comfortable with both the bride and the groom.

Throughout the evening, my son continued trying to think of bribes, er, I mean, motivators for my grandson to sign on to this whole wedding ceremony idea. He told him they might look for another puppy, and contemplating that idea, he reluctantly agreed to participate. He is an animal lover, so the thought of getting another dog at home was the equivalent of offering his Grandmother an entire box of good chocolates; anything can at least be considered! My son announced to the barbeque attendees that the potential ring bearer had finally agreed. And he was very proud of his parental savvy to boot.

On the way home in the car, my daughter-in-law was trying to get Ethan excited about the whole wedding idea. She talked to her boy about how much fun it would be and how cute he would look in his suit. He asked her, "Why will I be cute?" She explained to him that he gets to wear a tuxedo and a tie just like the groom was going to wear.

Surprised, my grandson said in an excited, big voice, "OOHHH! Well, I didn't want to be in the wedding is "coz I thought I had to wear a bear suit!" It was then that his parents realized what he thought he would look like in front of all those strangers to be the ‘ring bear-er’! We've all giggled a bit at the process that this little boy must have been struggling with, thinking he was being asked to walk down an aisle at a church in front of a bunch of strangers dressed up as a bear.

I wonder how many people hold a silly "suit" image about what kind of clothes one must wear to follow Jesus. Long robes, sandals, and a beard? How about dresses, bobby socks and a head covering? Or what about a suit and tie, like the one you were squeezed into and forced to wear to your Grandmother's funeral when you were little? Some folks think a strait jacket is required or, for sure, some other constraining, tight, uncomfortable outfit that you just cannot be yourself wearing. And can you blame them? They see 'Christians" all the time that, if they walked down the spiritual fashion runway of life, would simply look weird!

But nothing could be farther from the truth. God doesn't expect us to change not one item of our makeup when we decide to hang out with him at his house. The "clothes" he has for us to wear throughout our journey with him are simple; his hat of protection, the tunic of his love, and the shoes of peace. That's it.

The wardrobes that men have made in order for God to accept us are just that; man-made. They sell the hard hats of scripture memorization. They sell the suits of sinlessness, shiny perfection, wealth, sacrifice, and pain. The only mirror in which you can look at your reflection is the mirror of pride and fundamentalism. These suits of rule and regulation, habit and redundancy, judgment and self-loathing are not God-made at all.

In fact, if I had to describe to a world-renowned tailor what kind of clothing God desires to give to each one of us to wear through this life, it would be the warmest, softest, light weighted, totally broken-in roomiest, and coziest robe ever imagined by anyone who has ever put on a stitch of clothing times a thousand!

Why God would no sooner require his children to march through this life dressed in attire foreign and uncomfortable to us than my son would demand my grandson to march down a church aisle in a silly bear suit! Your heavenly Father does not require your embarrassment, either. Ever.

That in itself makes walking this life with Him so much more than just "bearable."

Copyright © 2023 [Janice Hart]. All Rights Reserved.