Weary and Burdened?

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

I'm working on memorizing these verses right now, but they have a very interesting memory for me, associated with my childhood.  I recall one year, doing an advent devotion as a family of three, my mom, my sister, and me.  It was before my parent's divorce, but my dad wasn't there.  I must have been five or six at the time because it was before we moved in with my grandparents.  We lived in a spacious four bedroom home, and I think this was our last Christmas there.

The devotions came from a paper advent calendar with windows to open.  Inside each window was a scripture to read.  Obviously, most of the scriptures were from the Christmas story, but on Christmas Eve, the verses were Matthew 11:28-30.  And at that age, I totally didn't get it.  I listened to that business and figured that "weary and burdened" described big, ole pregnant Mary.  And she was going to get rest in that stable.  Done.  As for the yoke thing?  Um...eggs?  On Christmas?  Weird.  Where are the presents?  ;-)

At that time, those verses just didn't feel very Christmas-y to me.  They are feeling more appropriate these days.  This is a time of year, when I can get so very weary and burdened by things that Jesus does not actually intend for me to take on.  I create my own yoke and it is anything but easy and light.  Requirements of the culture I live in weigh me down.  And I am SO stinking tempted to embrace those requirements because they "feel" like Christmas.  Shopping.  Wrapping.  Decorating to death.  Overboard baking.  Crazy crafting.  I'm not saying that any of these things, in moderation, are bad.  I'm saying that when they become weary-making and burdensome, I need to step back and refocus on what I am celebrating.

I am celebrating Jesus Christ, who calls me to come to Him and find rest in Him.  Rest.  Not stress.  Not requirement.  Not obligation.

I have to talk about the yoke.  I heard this explained so beautifully in a classroom for 3rd to 6th graders last week.  A yoke is made for two oxen.  They pull together, but one of them is always stronger and dominant.  Jesus creates the yoke for us, but He is in it WITH us.  And He is the strength in that yoke, people.  I need to continually remind myself that I am not to be the dominant one!  That yoke is the best thing for me.  I need to embrace that, rather than the insanity that I think is going to make me happy.  Being yoked with Jesus Christ, staying by His side, will give me joy, peace, and hope.  

And that IS pretty Christmas-y.