I’ve been watching a lot of Every Day Carry (EDC) videos on Youtube lately. If you’re not familiar with the genre, then don’t bother exploring it. Here’s the gist: It’s a bunch of 30-something to 40-something year old dudes talking about the things that they carry in their pockets/bag. They all carry variations of the same thing: an overpriced pocket-knife, an overpriced mini flashlight, an overpriced pen or pencil, and an overpriced notebook.
Unfortunately, I am one of these guys.
The point of being one of these guys isn’t about how much or what you’re you’re carrying. It’s equally about how little you carry. Part of what makes the knife, flashlight, pen, and paper that you choose so expensive is how light many of them weigh. (Except the pen, I guess. Somehow a weighty pen is better? I don’t know, I didn’t make the rules.) The allure here is that you become a person who carries very little, because the things you do have are of such high quality that you don’t need to burden yourself with carrying too much.
Anyway.. I like how these videos start out. A lot of the times it really is just a dude emptying his pockets and explaining why he likes the stuff he carries around all day. I mean, who doesn’t love hearing a dude explain why he loves his over-engineered, steel body bolt action pen. It’s hard to find a guy talk about anything more passionately than that.
As I fell into this EDC pit over the last few weeks, I’ve been really tempted by an awesome pocket knife. The only problem? It’s really expensive. As I told Anna about how little this knife weighs (1.85 ounces!!), and she responded perfectly: “Do you carry a heavy burden — in your pockets?”
So that’s got me thinking - What burdens do I carry around?
Maybe your family is going through a particularly difficult time and you aren’t sure how to guide them through it. Or you’re simply feeling the weight and responsibility of parenthood and you wonder if all that you are doing is enough.
Maybe your job has your worn out and you aren’t sure how much longer you can bear through it.
Maybe your body is failing you. Each day is exhausting and all you can do is hope that God will keep his promises and you’ll have enough grace for that one day.
Maybe there is some besetting sin that keeps rearing it’s ugly head. It has you ashamed, embarrassed, and feeling alone.
Maybe you realized that a dream you once had simply won’t come to fruition.
In Matthew 11, Jesus invites people to come lay down their burdens. Here is 11:27-30
“All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Do you see yourself in this? Maybe you’ve been laboring for so long that you feel worn out, unsure that you can take another step. Or maybe the burdens of life have worn you down to a point where you feel as if it just just too heavy to carry. However it feels, Jesus invites you to lay these heavy burdens down and take up the rest he offers.
So I guess its best to end with a simple question — What are you carrying?
Other Links
My some of my friends at Anchored Hope have also started a newsletter. I encourage you to check them out:
And finally, Prevailing Purpose by Rachel Parker (she runs her site off WordPress).
Thanks for linking, Tyson! That means a lot. Hope the new year is treating you well.
Anna shoots. Anna scores!