As a part of training week for The World Race we went as a squad to Unicoi State Park located in the North Georgia Mountains. At the heart of the state park is a gorgeous lake surrounded by tree covered mountains, with eagles flying overhead, and ducks swimming in the lake. I think you are starting to get the picture. This place is beautiful. It has everything you need to get away; clean air, cool water, and trees everywhere.
As you are taking this in you hear the Adventures in Missions staff tell you to grab an object that will represent something you want to give up or surrender. Hearing this I knew right away what I wanted to surrender and it was pretty big. I figured if what I wanted to surrender was big so the object should be also. My only thought was that we were going to pray about it then heave the object in the lake (So there was a small part of me that wanted to see a big splash). So after everyone has found their object and we have gathered back together; I see some of the AIM staff with smiles on there faces looking at me. I do not know what to think at this point until I realized why they were smiling. This little task come to find out was called the surrender walk; not the surrender throw, or pick up something heavy and surrender it and put it back down. It was the surrender WALK.
So here I am staring down a 6 foot log that is about 8 inches in diameter. Thinking to myself why did I want to see a big splash? But as I began to look at the log more and hold it and feel its weight, it began to make sense. This does represent the materialism in my life. The burden I carry everyday to have cool stuff and wear cool clothes, things that really make me part of this world. It is a heavy burden, and maybe the log really does fit the bill. Anyways, I begin to march and it is not so bad at first. However, as I walk on the log continues to get heavier and heavier and more awkward to carry. During that time of struggle God gave me a verse in Matthew 11 and it just began to consume my thoughts. It says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give your 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.”
In that moment I realized that the log was not gentle and it was not easy to carry and no rest could come from it. The comparison between the log and the burden of materialism became surprisingly real. The yoke of the world is not easy or good. It is like a poor relationship; the one way type of relationship that you pour yourself into and in return you just feel violated. However the yoke of Jesus takes that violated feeling and speaks truth into. You can pour your entire being into this relationship but the truth is Jesus just pours more love, compassion, grace, and mercy back into you.
So I finished the walk, which by the way included a climb up a small mountain. However, I made it to point at which I could throw it down and surrender it before God. What a feeling that was to take that burden and lay it down and know that I do not ever have to pick it up again. Then weirdest feeling came over me as I looked back and I realized that I never did pick it up to start with it was just placed upon me. However, the yoke of Jesus I want to pick up and I want to bear it because it is good.
