Carrying a Heavy Load
Be the Hands and Feet of Jesus for Others
By: Gordon D., Individual Served at Echoing Hills

An old woman is carrying a heavy bundle of wood up a steep hill. A young man approaches her and his heart is filled with compassion seeing her struggling under her heavy load. Wanting to help, he says to the woman, “Be of good cheer, the Lord will lighten your load.” And, in saying that, he continues on his way.

A second young man approached the woman. Just like the first young man his heart is filled with compassion seeing her struggling under her heavy load. Wanting to help, he says to the woman, “Be of good cheer, the Lord will help you bear your burden.” And, in saying that, he continues on his way.

A third young man approaches the woman and just like the first two young men, his heart is filled with compassion seeing her struggling under her heavy load. But, unlike the first two young men, instead of just speaking words of love, he puts the heavy bundle of wood across his own shoulders and carries the wood to her cottage for her.

So, what is the point of the story? If you think the point is that the first two young men felt no compassion, you missed the whole point of the story. The first two young men felt great compassion.

The point of the story is it was a lack of practical application on the part of the first two young men. It isn’t enough just to tell people about the love of Jesus, you have to show them the love of Jesus through kind actions. As his followers, we are the only Jesus the world is going to see!