Born to Be Carried

Posted on by Jennifer Arimborgo
Holding Edeshita Sunday night

“When they suffered, he suffered with them. The Angel of His Presence saved them. Out of his enduring love and compassion he redeemed them. He lifted them up, carried them in his arms, and cared for them all the days of old” (Isa. 63:9, TPT, emphasis mine).

On Sunday, I held in my arms for the first time the newborn daughter of one of my mentees. I have mentored her mother for nearly twenty years, and I’ve been so excited about her first pregnancy at age 37. And now her firstborn was in my arms. As I gazed into Edeshita’s little face, my eyes filled with tears of joy. I held her through much of praise and worship during our service. She fell asleep in my arms as I rejoiced and prayed over her.

I think about the contrast between little Edeshita and my new kitten, Theophilus. They are about the same age, just over a month. Theophilus can already climb into my armchair to get to me while I am working (in fact, he is, at this writing, asleep on my lap). On the other hand, Edeshita will not be able to even walk for approximately a year. She will need to be carried, wherever she needs to go.

Why the difference? So many mammals are born with the immediate ability to stand and walk; why not humans?

I believe Daddy God set it up this way on purpose. You and I were born to be carried. The first year of life is the most formative of them all, and He very intentionally caused us to be carried and held throughout all of it. This would set the foundation for the rest of our lifetimes. You see, my friend, we were meant to be carried until we draw our very last breath.

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isa. 46:4, NIV).

And so, dependence is built into the foundation of who we are. We were created to be utterly dependent on God. Another Scripture describes this beautifully:

“These all look to you,
to give them their food in due season.
When you give it to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath, they die
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your Spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.”

(Ps. 104:27-30, ESV).

We have no sustenance, no breath, no spirit unless He gives it to us. In Him we live, and move, and have our being. Without Him, we are nothing and can do nothing. Once we assimilate this foundational truth, deep down in our beings, we can learn contentment.

A life of utter dependence is the most beautiful, satisfying kind. It’s the kind Jesus modeled for us: “So Jesus said, ‘I speak to you eternal truth. The Son is unable to do anything from himself or through his own initiative. I only do the works that I see the Father doing, for the Son does the same works as his Father’” (John 5:19, TPT). Jesus operated out of complete dependence on the Father, and He invites you and me to do the same. As John 1:18 tells us, He is in the bosom of the Father. He wants you and me to be where He is.

Today, let’s let our Daddy hold and carry us in His bosom. Let’s let everything we do, flow from that place of deep dependence on His presence. When it’s all said and done, we will be able to testify:

“There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place” (Deut. 1:31, NIV).

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Do we humans like to be dependent? Why or why not?

 

 

 

17 thoughts on “Born to Be Carried”

  1. I watched this unfolding with my Mama when she was dying and could no longer serve others in the ways she loved to do. I remember us girls looking at my Mum and saying: now it’s our turn to give back what you have given us your whole life long.

    I saw her struggle to surrender but also the fruit in each surrender too: more and more peace filled her and covered her. Her repentance through that time, where she suddenly saw all the ways she had not trusted God and opened her arms to receive His carrying is now such a gift to me, continually helping me to lay down my burdens. Open confession of our weakness and sin are SO powerful – incredibly humbling for us to do so, but such a gift of affirmation to our fellow wayfarers as we ALL struggle to be held.

    Recently God showed me the process of grafting and how that doesn’t happen overnight. I think faith is a lifelong journey of returning and resting – learning to receive the pure trust Jesus has of His Father. The trust we are freely given but still need to learn to receive – piece by piece by piece. We NEVER stop learning to be carried and let Jesus live freely through us, as my Grandma friends of faith so often tell me.

    I think I struggle to be carried in those places I haven’t fully received a part of Christ’s character or nature. I already possess the fullness of His nature but do not yet fully know it because that knowing requires my experiencing of it again and again – like that Hebrew Word yada speaks of: woman knowing man to conceive and give birth. Even that nine months is the mother getting to know her baby and thereafter too. We are still laboring in Christ to see Jesus born fully in us and in others. Like the Mama is bonding with her baby and the child is bonding with her Mama. It works both ways.

    The day before our kitten (almost 1 years old) got run over and killed, God talked to me about Ruth’s love for Naomi and for Boaz. He showed me that it wasn’t just Boaz who loved Ruth but Ruth who loved Boaz. As He spoke of that He had our kitten come lie down at my feet, spreading his whole body out before me. He then said to me: “Anna, that deep deep love awakened in your heart by your kitten doing that is the deep deep love awakened in my heart when you do that for me: lay down your whole body in absolute surrender at my feet, fully trusting my intentions and my love for you.” Wow! I was floored. I hadn’t really ever stopped to see that yada in that light. But David says that too: search and know my heart God and see if there be any pain, hurt or grief that is stopping me from receiving you. Even though he knows God knows him back to front, he invites God to become his friend, lover, Father and mother. He lays himself down like our little Coco did and in so doing God says: you, my David, are a man after my own heart. Coco sought my affections, all of our affections. He was so so so so trusting of our intentions toward him. Oh how I long to grow in that trust toward my Heavenly Papa.

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    1. Beautiful sharing, my dear sister. What an unforgettable moment with Coco! I know you will treasure that memory in your heart always. Daddy has so often spoken important things to me through our animals too.

      What your Mum learned during her last season of life is also unspeakably precious. Thank you so very much for sharing it. Jesus treasures your heart so much, Anna!

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    1. That is so true, CG. As soon as we stop leaning into Him and His strength and continual guidance, we lose our peace! I am so grateful that He is so faithful to redirect our hearts into the posture of being carried by Him in His bosom 🙂

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  5. And when we get older, some resent being carried. Personally, I’m looking forward to calling Wheels when my driving becomes hazardous; I’ll call Kroger and have them deliver my groceries; someone can pick me up for church gatherings, doctor’s visits, take me out for an occasional social.
    Finally someone can deliver my cadaver to the Pathology Department so a young upstart doctor can probe with impunity to practice, so when they get a “live one,” he or she will know what they are doing.
    Carry me Home, Lord Jesus, whether in Your return or carrying me cross the Jordan. I know I won’t have to cross it alone. Hallelujah!
    ❤️&🙏, c.a.

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  7. My grandad seemed to know what others needed and when they might need it, even if they hadn’t told anyone. Until he took his last breath he was making sure the outside light was turned in for visitors and a cup of hot tea awaited them when they made it into the house. I think it can be a difficult thing to let others do things for us, even little things, as there can be hold a sort of pride that this somehow means we are incapable.

    I believe that letting go and receiving the grace of others is the strongest we can be. Where receiving God’s grace is a powerful act even though He is doing the majority of the work.

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    1. This is such an insightful comment, Hamish, thank you! Your grandad sounds like an amazing and precious person. I look forward to meeting him in heaven! I have no doubt that you have inherited spiritual blessings generationally from/through his lineage.

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