I remember “catching” my son doing something beautiful. He was helping his barefooted little sister walk across the rocks in our landscaping. Her feet were too soft to bear it alone. But his, rugged from a summer of no shoes, were tough enough to walk alongside of her, bearing her weight so that she could cross.


We often find ourselves in one of these two positions. At times, we are the one in need of another to help us bear the weight of our burdens and get across our rocky places. Other times, we find ourselves with feet tough enough to help a friend through a difficult time… either because we’ve been through it before, or because God gives us the grace to understand their trials.


Jesus carried each of us since we were born (see Isaiah 46:3). I once heard a pastor say, “Jesus took the sting out of death. Perhaps we can help take the sting out of life.” Jesus bears our burdens, and if we can bear some of the weight for our neighbor to make the rocky walk easier, then we have taken some of the sting out of life.