The Backpack

Ever watched a 6-year-old walk?
They glide across the floor,
not a care in the world.

You used to be like that.
But somewhere along the way,
someone handed you a backpack.

They told you it’s just what’s done.
Part of the journey.
Something every good traveler carries.

So you put it on.
And at first, you barely noticed the weight.

But over time,
things kept getting added.
Responsibilities.
Commitments.
Expectations you never questioned.
Perspectives from people you respect.
Trying to help, but still slipping in another weight.
One after another,
until the pack felt heavier than it once did.

Until one day,
you realized you were tired.
Not from the road itself,
but from the load.

That’s when you finally stopped long enough
to open the backpack.
And you found that half of what you carried
wasn’t yours at all.

Some of it belonged to voices from your past.
Some came from saying yes when you wanted to say no.
Many you didn’t even know you were carrying.

Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
If the weight is crushing,
maybe it didn’t come from Him.

He came to bring you freedom.
He came to lift what was never yours to carry.
But sometimes our need to please others
can cause us to neglect the people in our lives
who matter most.

So set it down.
Walk lighter.
Carry only what He hands you.

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