Compelled To Carry

Kristine Cucinotta Murphy

Yesterday, I was in and out of the bathhouse carrying full baskets of dirty, heavy wet laundry. There was a girl and three boys out riding their bikes around the campground.

But, each time I was about to go inside the bathhouse, that young girl would hop off her bike and run up to the door to open it for me. Each time I thanked her graciously and told her she has a beautiful heart. I also prayed God would bless her and keep her heart pure.

Today, while I was sitting here in the tent writing my recent post, I heard the young girl yell at the young boy she was riding bikes with.

“You only care about yourself! I told you I am hurt and all you care about is going further!”

My first thought was: “Dang, they sound married!”

I listened and sought God’s direction whether to go out to have him speak through me to them or not. Surely, kids hear enough lectures. I was just led to lift that young boy’s heart to be convicted by God himself to do the right thing.

Then, I hear the young boy say “I’m sorry.” As I looked out the window of the tent, I saw the young boy hop off his bike and take her bike too, walking with her back to where they are staying. I thanked God and thought how much that sounds like us grown adults.

Here we are striving for perfection, to pick up and carry our cross to follow Jesus, yet we are still only caring about ourselves the majority of times. We make the call to decide when and when not to help someone.

A spouse, a loved one or even another member of the body of Christ informing us, they need help, are hurt or tired and yet, the plea to stop, to give the help they ask for or even stop long enough to pray with them is not taken seriously and are being left behind or pushed to make their injury or weakness worse.

We have to discipline to hear each other’s cry and plea to stop and be lowly in Spirit and meek, to love others more than ourselves, to help carry one another’s cross, to not deny anyone who is crying for help.

Proverbs 3:28
Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

Are we not called to help others? Even those in the faith to edify one another? To pray, heal, feed, and bless those in need. Do we as followers in Christ have needs? Absolutely!

We are compelled daily to help one another in the body of Christ, just as much as to lead others to the salvation of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 27:32
“And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.”

But, fear of being taken advantage of, fear in being made a fool, fear in worrying if one will have enough later, fear of being slowed down. Then, pride of one’s own desires, pride of I have my own troubles, pride of that’s not my problem, pride of I don’t have to do anything God will help you, stops the flow of love to win.

We must humble ourselves and remember, this is a many members of one body walk together. Teamwork.

Matthew 11:29-30
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Galatians 6:2-3
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.