advice from a dad
It had me crying on the plane.
I just finished rereading The Hiding Place. This book follows Corrie Ten Boom’s family as they give their lives to protect Jews during World War II. (If you haven’t read it, PLEASE get a copy ASAP. You’re welcome.) It had me crying on the airplane, hoping my little reading light wouldn’t cause the passengers on either side to look over and see me wiping my face.
Towards the beginning of the book, young Corrie asks her father some hard questions as they sit side-by-side on a train ride. In response, Mr. Ten Boom pulls his suitcase off the overhead rack and asks Corrie to carry it for him. But it’s impossible for her to even lift it off the floor. He says:
“…It would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It’s the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you.”
I can’t help but think of how this applies way beyond childhood. Life constantly leaves us with questions. Some are hopeful, while others are heart-wrenching. When in prison, a Lieutenant asks Corrie why God would let her go through so much suffering. She remembers her father’s kind words: “Some knowledge is too heavy... you cannot bear it... your Father will carry it until you are able.”
See, to enter the kingdom, one must become like a little child. We must take our questions to our Father, who absolutely loves to hand out wisdom — though that doesn’t always mean getting the answer we wanted. The truth is, much of what we want is too heavy for us to bear. Even from the beginning, we craved the knowledge of good and evil... Little did we know it would cause indescribable distress from generation to generation.
Nevertheless, the questions pile up: Why is this happening to me? How are you going to work this out, God? What if I lose everything I’ve built? What if it keeps hurting and never gets better?... In these moments, I hear the Lord say, Let me carry it for you. Let me be the Shepherd.
Sometimes, when the knowledge is too heavy for us, our Father carries it until we are ready.
For some things, we may never be ready.
But when you trust your Father, that doesn’t matter.
The ego gets out of the way. Being in control is no longer desirable. The heart is content to rest, knowing that our Father has us. As for the sorrows and griefs, He will carry them. It is enough to learn to lean on Him.
Jesus, teach us to lean on You.
– Sarah
Oh, this is lovely and true. That book is amazing, and though I don't recall that scene from the book, it says so much.