I am just nearing the end of a community health course in my doctorate program. Our assignment was to develop a health and wellness program that would target a community health issue in our places of work. As an occupational therapist, even before this class, I had planned on doing a backpack awareness campaign here in Kosovo. The kids are required to carry much more weight on their back to and from school than is safe for their little bodies to carry.
As I was reflecting on this project, it hit me there are many spiritual implications that can tie into the topic of carrying loads that are too heavy for us. In a survey I conducted for the project, parents reported that the kids would have to carry everyday at least 9-10 textbooks, 7 notebooks, all their art and writing utensils, plus water and snacks. There are no lockers or desks in the elementary schools here where the kids can leave unnecessary books at school. The parents also reported that their children would come home from school complaining of pain in their necks, shoulders, backs and were very tired. They would need to rest before beginning their homework. How many us pack so much into our days that the burden of carrying all of our obligations gets too painful. We feel the pull of the weight of our work as we begin each new day. Maybe the heaviness is not from the work we do, but it is from other stresses of life we face. Each day, we pick up our stresses and carry them around all day long, until we collapse at the end of the day from the weight of them all. We were not created in such a way that our bodies, minds, spirits were meant to carry so much. Jesus invited us in Matthew 11:28, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Jesus doesn't invite us to rest in His lap still carrying that heavy backpack of work and stress, but He removes it from us.Some of the tips for backpack awareness from the American Occupational Therapy Association gives us some good advice:
1) Loading the pack -
a. Don't load the pack more than 10% of the child's body weight. We can not get away from stress and work in our lives, carrying a certain weight of stress is normal, just as the kids need to carry their books and supplies to school. In Kosovo, many parents walk their children to school because of the weight of the backpacks, they carry the bags for their children. As nice as that may sound, it is not the ideal solution. When parents carry the bags for their children, it does not allow the children the opportunity to grow in the natural developmental skills of independence, nor does it help the children build strength themselves in muscle development. If we just refuse to place ourselves in a position where we are removed from all stressful situations, we miss out on the developmental spiritual growth of watching the Lord help us through the stress. The Lord never promises we would not have problems, He did promise us, however that He would be with us through them. Spiritual muscle growth happens as we tackle together, with the Lord, the work and stresses of life.
b. Load the heaviest items closest to the child's back. When the heaviest items are closest to our spines, it causes less pull on the rest of the body's trunk and the weight is more manageable. Sometimes we stress ourselves out with things that really are not that important or stress-worthy. I can allow myself to get so worked up sometimes when someone cuts me off in traffic, or passes another car on a blind curve (which is a daily occurrence here), this insignificant stress can grow so much that it can rob me of my joy and cause me to be crabby, which robs the joy of those around me :-(. We need to be intentional about what we choose to stress over. If we stress, let it be about the big things in life such as the enormous number of people dying each day without knowing Jesus, the poor and homeless, the levels of crime in our cities and those around the world who are ravished by war. Let our hearts break for those things that breaks His, not on the petty things of life.
c. Check what your child takes to school and brings home. Make sure it is only essential items. At the beginning of the day, we need to spend time with the Lord asking Him, what are the essentials that we need for our day. What is it that He wants us to do and what is it that He wants us to carry for that day. Write out a spiritual list of those things that are crucial things we need to concern ourselves with and those things we should totally give over to the Lord to carry for us.
d. Distribute the pack evenly by using both shoulder straps and fasten the waste belt. Many children will carry their bags over one shoulder, this stresses the rest of the body and causes postural problems later on. If we try to carry all of the weight ourselves, it causes us to have spiritual postural problems too. We find it difficult standing tall in strength, confidence, in joy and freedom. We allow the weight to pull us into depressive behavior. In verses 29-30, Jesus continues to say, "'Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for you souls, for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.'" When we strap ourselves tight with Him, He takes on the burden of the weight which allows us to walk lighter, more upright and freer. He gently walks beside us as we are connected to Him.
e. The bottom of the pack should rest in the curve of the lower back. It should never rest more than four inches below the child's waistline. If a child's pack is taller than their trunk it prevents them from being able to walk stable and at a comfortable pace. It consumes all of their energy, to a point where they have nothing left when they get to school and when they get home. If we allow the size of our work and stress load to consume us, we will have no energy left for others, for the Lord and to do what is essential in our lives. We can not do what the Lord has called us to, if we are buried under the stresses of our work/mission, relationships, lack of rest. The Lord tells us, "'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand,' Is. 41:10."
Friends, let us not pick up and carry that which is not necessary, nor ours to carry. Look to your God, let Him take the non-essentials and help you carry those which are. He will not only help you, but He will carry you and your load.
For more about the International Backpack Awareness day (the third Wed. in Sept.) you can find more tips at the American Occupational Therapy Association website at: https://www.aota.org/Conference-Events/Backpack-Safety-Awareness-Day/Handouts.aspx
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