Several years ago, I decided to start living in a healthier way. After eating better and exercising I lost three and a half stone. I slept better, my knees and feet stopped hurting, and my cholesterol dropped. But I didn’t know how big a difference I’d made until I went on a walking holiday. We hiked 18 miles in three days with all our supplies on our backs. My pack weighed 50 pounds. As I walked along the paths, I was amazed that I had carried that same amount of weight every day for years.

  

Just as I was carrying too much physical weight, many of us are weighed down by guilt and shame. Broken relationships leave us cling- ing to grudges. The weight of our struggles piles on so gradually that we often don’t realise how it is affecting us. We are not designed for this weight! The season of Lent grants us the opportunity to lighten our loads. As we take a closer look at ourselves during these 40 days, we can find weights to lay down. Today’s verse reminds us that giving our worries to God can heal us. Through prayer, we can let go of what holds us back and find the freedom that comes in Jesus.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, help us surrender our burdens to you so that we may live joyfully. Amen