It always amazes me just how little my husband needs to pack for a trip. Everything he needs, whether for a week or just a weekend, fits into a carry on bag. Me, on the other hand, needs the largest suitcase, an overnight bag AND a large tote bag no matter how long the vacation! That’s just the baggage I need to get to where we’re going. Heading back from vacation with all the souvenirs is an altogether different story! You see, I have a bad habit of packing for the “just in case” moments that rarely seem to happen. Maybe you can relate…I’ll pack that pretty dress “just in case” we want to go out to for a fancy dinner one night. This, by the way, also requires packing a special pair of shoes, an extra clutch, matching jewelry and perfume! I’ll pack a long pair of pants for a summer trip down south, “just in case” the weather turns cold. Has the south ever known a July day less than 85 degrees? Rarely! So, you can imagine how heavy my baggage is by the time the week is over!
I used to get weighed down by my emotional baggage, too. We all carry some. We can't help it. It comes with the territory of living in a broken world. Circumstances of life are never perfect and we get wounded; physically, emotionally or both. Whichever the case, our wounds cause pain and we pack our bags with things we think will protect us, "just in case" it happens again. We load up with things like fear, anger, anxiety, hopelessness, and unforgiving hearts. The list is endless. Gone unpacked, the contents of our baggage gets heavier and starts to stink... so do we!
Take courage! There's hope for our future! Freedom is ours if we want it! We just have to give Jesus permission to open our bags and sort through the dirty laundry with us. It can be scary at first. Nobody likes to show off the dirty stuff. It's embarrassing, painful, and unpleasant. But once we get started, our baggage gets lighter, we get rejuvenated and can finally go places we never thought we could go.
Where do you want to go? What do you think God is calling you to do but you just can't seem to get there? Is your baggage weighing you down? Have you packed too much for the "just in case" situations that you can't event think of where your future might take you? If so, give Jesus permission to unpack your bags. Let Him do some laundry and lighten your load.
And sometimes, once we open the suitcase, there is no going back. And the ride can be rough for awhile. Looking up is hard, but so necessary to empty that bag!
ReplyDeleteThat's so true, Robin. Once we open the bag, we know what needs to go. And, when those bags start getting heavy again, at least we know who to give them to.
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