Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30
In March of 2026, residents of Arley, Alabama, noticed a stray dog with its head firmly stuck in a bucket. When pictures started appearing across social media, people began trying to figure out a way to help. The problem was that the lab mix, who was given the name “Buck,” was traveling with another dog who was very protective. The pair ran away from rescuers, and the dog without the bucket was aggressive in trying to protect his friend.Â
After several efforts, rescuers were finally able to get close enough to help. The leader of the effort, Eric Bowman, said, “I came up behind him with a pair of snippers and started cutting on the bucket. We eased the bucket off his head, and it was like his whole attitude changed. As soon as that bucket came off his head, you could see the relief on him, and he just went almost limp.”
Despite the fact that we have the promise of rest and peace in Jesus Christ, often instead of running to Him for help, we run away from Him when things become difficult. Perhaps we blame God for allowing bad things to happen to us. Perhaps we begin to doubt His love and care when things don’t work out the way we think they should. Perhaps we become angry and bitter and retreat from His presence. But the truth is that God always loves and cares for us. If we come closer to Him rather than pulling away we will find Him there with the help and rest that we need. After all, His Word invites us: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you” (James 4:8).
