There was a cardinal at our bird feeder this morning with snow on its back. The snow must have been frozen on because it did not fall off as the cardinal flew back and forth from a branch to the feeder. It was an unnecessary burden that was hampering its flight. Most of the people I know are like this cardinal. We carry around unnecessary burdens that hamper our being all we can be. They can be the product of childhood but more likely they are the product of life in general. We allow failures to hamper our concept of what we can really accomplish. Failure is not pleasant and we do all we can to avoid it. The things we associate with our failures become hot stoves. We just don’t try again. Some are things we really would like to do but fear another attempt will once again result in failure. We live ordinary lives when we could have been extraordinary. Instead of learning from our failures we turn them into blockades that keep us from going any further merely so we do not have to taste failure again. We carry burdens that hamper the fulfillment of our dreams.
Sometimes the burden we carry is guilt which is most debilitating. It haunts us with “I wish I had not done it.” We cannot go back and undo. However we can lift the burden. We begin by seeking God’s forgiveness which is always available. “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us.” I John1:9 Secondly, we forgive ourselves. Often that is the tough one. Let it go. If necessary say, “I forgive myself.” The result will be wonderful. When the burden is gone we fly like a cardinal without snow on its back.
Written by Roger Bothwell on January 3, 2014
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