Some only God Can Remove

Pastor and author Max Lucado tells about his childhood days of playing football out in the West Texas fields. The fields where he and his friends played were full of grass burrs that stung horribly. Sometimes, after a big tackle, a player would have a leg or arm full of them. Apparently, it was so bad that the game would come to a halt while the affected player pulled out each of the burrs. Some players wanted to keep on playing in spite of the burrs, but it was usually too painful. Lucado says that he himself trusted no one but his father to pull out the burrs. So when it happened to him, he would leave the game, run home, and get his father to gently pull out each sticker. Only then would he’d return to the field ready to play.

Drawing on his story, Lucado makes the point that as we grow older there are burrs that only our Heavenly Father can remove. Many of us carry with us painful events of the past. Others of us bear burdens to deep to name. 

While I am aware that there is no quick and easy answer to the pain we carry, a simple acknowledgment can be a first step. Today, I invite you to lay before God whatever it is that is on your heart. Ask God to remove the burden, heartache, the worry, the pain. Ask God for clarity to see if there are steps you need to take – perhaps to make amends, change directions or simply let go. And then, trust that in time, God will begin to heal all that we bring.

Let us pray: Gracious God, you know where we hurt. You know how it is that we suffer. You know our hearts. Today we name those broken places to you. We ask for your healing grace to begin to work in us even now. In Jesus’ name. Amen.