“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Several years ago, Ray and I flew to Miami, FL to board a cruise ship bound for the Southern Caribbean. Since I have always been guilty of overpacking for trips, our luggage was already packed to the hilt when we checked in at the Austin airport. Because I’m a contingency planner, I always want to have extra clothes, etc. just in case I need them. Many times I carry things I never use that end up not benefiting me during the trip, and I am left with the extra burden of having to unpack these things when I return home.
During the cruise week, I went about buying little gifts here and there for the grandkids. Having promised our granddaughter Sophie some sea shells from the Caribbean, I found lots of large conch shells on the beach in Turks & Caicos. Even though they were heavy, I knew that Sophie would love them! By the time our week was over, I had collected quite a bit more than I had planned on taking home.
When the cruise ended, we returned to the Miami airport only to find at check-in that our luggage was way over the acceptable weight limit. Not wanting to pay the extra fee, we did what we had never done before—rolled our suitcases over to a table that was there for folks like us (me, really). There we began to unpack and dispose of those things we considered non-essential. As we repacked, I made sure to include a few of those pretty shells for Sophie. 🐚 Finally, after about 20 minutes of working feverishly to correct course, we had the weight back to 50 pounds and the threat of having to pay an additional fee was over.
The story above reminds me of another type of baggage we humans are sometimes prone to carry on our shoulders and in our hearts. Heavy bags of Guilt. Shame. Anger. Resentment. Unforgiveness. Hurt. Grief. Disappointment. Jealousy. Negativity. There are many more I could list, but I’ll stop there. From experience, I’ve learned that it is much better to take a good look at what bags are needed, versus those that will never be beneficial for our spiritual and/or emotional health. The things that hinder our relationship with God and others have no place remaining with us. In letting go, we will experience the freedom of never being weighed down by the heaviness of our emotional baggage. Laying it down and checking it permanently in at the foot of the cross will bring unimaginable peace.
I pray that all who read this have only the essential amount of luggage needed to make your trip through life more enjoyable. May you never be constrained by the heaviness of holding on to that which won’t be of any benefit to you on life’s journey.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, through Your unfailing love, we marvel at how You stand ready to rid us of the heavy loads we sometimes carry. Father, help us to leave all things that so easily beset us at the foot of the cross. Give us the strength to never take them up again, knowing that You sent Jesus for this very reason—that we might be free from anything that hinders our walk with You. We can never thank You enough for all You’ve done for us. I pray these things in the name of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins past, present, and future. Amen.
