Our home is situated just blocks from both an elementary and a high school and I'm always intrigued by the morning parade. A couple of things stand out: the variation in outerwear in cold weather, the difference in how fast different students walk and the dead-on timing of the private school bus driver. I'm not sure who decided that gym shorts and no jacket in cold, rainy weather is the mark of "macho" but I get the shivers just watching those brave (or desperate) souls. Then, I can predict within minutes when school starts by the speed-walking demonstrated by a few stragglers. Finally, the Catholic school bus driver is a story of punctuality by himself; even my German stickler-for-on-time husband compliments him.
But it's the backpacks that really grab my attention.
While some high school students stroll with few things to nothing in hand, nearly all the younger children plod along with huge backpacks attached to their bodies. I'm just assuming that parents have familiarized themselves with the potential for spinal damage and back pain. Just out of curiosity I checked with friend Google and found that the secret is in positioning the load at a specific angle. Diagrams and written explanations describe best practices along with warnings of what can happen if chiropractic advice is ignored. It's not easy to carry a burden; downright dangerous if not done correctly.
Learning how to correctly position physical burdens is important; learning to deal with the pain associated with emotional, financial or spiritual burdens is no less essential and often far more crippling.
"Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." (Amplified Version) 1 Peter 5:7
Is your burden heavy? Try casting it.
