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b'\\u201cThis better be worth it,\\u201d I muttered through gritted teeth. The straps of\\nmy backpack bit into my shoulders, making each step feel heavier than the\\nlast. \\n\\u201cMalik said it would be just around this bend. If he\\u2019s wrong, I\\u2019m gonna\\ntell him to carry this stupid weight all this way.\\u201d I knew it didn\\u2019t\\nactually work that way\\u2014nobody could carry somebody else\\u2019s weight\\u2014but the\\nthought made a wry smile stretch across my face. If Malik was right, soon\\nI\\u2019d finally be able to put this weight down. I\\u2019d been carrying it for a\\nlong, long time.\\nI followed a bend in the trail, and a gasp escaped my mouth. I saw it.\\n\\u201cThis. This has to be the place.\\u201d Straight in front of me stood a glorious\\nbuilding made of precious gold, shimmering silver, and glittering gems. It\\nseemed to shine in the afternoon light.\\nI pushed open the heavy wooden door, and inside I found a man. While His\\nsimple clothing wasn\\u2019t nearly as glamorous as the building around Him, He\\nstill seemed radiant. Before Him sat a large basket.\\n\\u201cWelcome, Dominic.\\u201d He smiled. \\u201cI\\u2019m so happy to see you.\\u201d He glanced at my\\nbackpack. \\u201cThat looks heavy. Would you like to put it down?\\u201d He asked,\\nwaving a scarred hand at the basket. I remembered Malik\\u2019s words when he\\ntold me that He would take whatever I put in the basket.\\n\\u201cY-yes, I think I would.\\u201d\\n\\u201cHere, let me help.\\u201d He gently lifted the bag from my back and opened it on\\nthe floor, exposing its contents. Inside, I saw my life. Rocks of various\\nshapes and sizes, each one labeled\\u2014mistakes, regrets, and hurts mingled\\nwith my talents, achievements, and prized relationships. I knelt to the\\nfloor, and one by one, I placed each rock in His basket.\\nI expected to feel lighter, and I did, but a heaviness remained in my\\nheart. I just couldn\\u2019t shake it. Giving Him the contents of my backpack\\ndidn\\u2019t feel like enough. Confused and desperate, I began to panic. \\u201cWhy do\\nI still feel this way? What else do I have?\\u201d\\nIn my desperation I looked up at Him, and in His eyes I saw\\u2026love. And\\nsuddenly, the answer was clear. Before I quite knew what I was doing, I got\\nto my feet. He seemed to read my mind and beamed as He held out a hand to\\nhelp me balance.\\nThen, I got into the basket. \\u2022 Taylor Eising\\n\\u2022 What is weighing heavily on you today? Consider taking a moment to\\nimagine all these things as heavy objects. What are these objects, and what\\ndo they represent? Do you feel like you can give these things to Jesus? Why\\nor why not? \\n\\u2022 Because God cares about us, we can cast all our burdens on Him (1 Peter\\n5:7). Jesus, in His grace, gives us the faith to drop all our worries at\\nHis feet and rely on His love. How can the truth that Jesus cares about\\nus\\u2014and every part of our lives\\u2014make it easier for us to entrust our\\ntroubles to Him? \\n\\u2022 What do you notice about Jesus in this story? Why do you think the author\\ndepicted Him this way?\\n\\u2022 Why do you think Dominic got into the basket?\\nYou do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a\\nburnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not\\nreject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Psalm 51:16-17 (NLT)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nPs.55.22|Matt.11.28-Matt.11.30|1Pet.5.6-1Pet.5.7|Ps.51.16-Ps.51.17'