"Flying Rats"

Five years ago while taking in the splendor of St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy, I noticed a gentleman selling food to feed the pigeons in the square.  As a silly tourist, in Venice for the first time, I thought that of course it would be a great idea to feed the prevalent pigeons.  My husband, however, who referred to the creatures as "flying rats" wasn't so keen on the idea.  But eventually my appeal won out and after purchasing the little bag of pigeon food for a few Euros, I decided it would be a wonderful plan to stand in the middle off the grand square and let the pigeons come and eat out of my hands.  For about 15 seconds my plan worked splendidly, with the eager creatures landing on my arms and pecking at the food cupped in my outstretched hands.  But there are thousands of pigeons in St. Mark's Square and with only one bag of food I was soon completely overwhelmed  by dozens of pecking, clawing, flapping "flying rats."  

They were landing all over me, scratching at my arms, pecking at my hair, and one even took up residence on my head.  Like something out of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, I was completely drowned in pigeons and was in danger of being pecked to death.  My fabulous idea had turned instead to one of dread and anxiety.  My husband, realizing my danger, had to come and rescue me. But even he could not chase the "flying rats" away.  It was only after casting the pigeon food to the ground and running for my life that I was able to escape, scratched and bruised.

How often do we make decisions that seem great at the time, only to discover through trial and error that we have unwittingly overburdened ourselves with something that is too big to handle?  Thankfully for us, whether we are burdened with debt, an over-scheduled life, or a world of care, there is a way to find relief, although we may not escape unscathed.  It might even be necessary to drop a few things and run from the "flying rats" in our lives.

But we don't have to conquer our burdens alone.  The Lord tells us:  "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest to your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  

He is inviting us to be yoked with him.  We are invited to have Him right beside us, close and personal, to carry the weight of our burdens.  He invites us to obtain rest simply by receiving Him. When we receive Him we are able to find the peace that we need by knowing that we are doing His will.  Being yoked with him, we learn God's purpose for us.  If we are feeling empty, discouraged, or burdened, perhaps it is time to accept His invitation and fall at His feet, crying: "Lord, I can't carry this burden, anymore.  Please help me!"  And when we do, the Lord will be able to do remarkable things through us, and we will find peace, joy, and love in our lives once more after being freed from those pesky "flying rats".