One day we were traveling for a holiday with our then 4 year old triplets and he really disliked having to lug around tons of suitcases. On our previous trips I always packed:
- 1 large suitcase for Mom & 2 girls
- 1 large suitcase for dad & son (since it's half empty I'd throw in some favorite snacks & pool toys here)
- Each kid would have their own rolling pack with toys & entertainment for the plane
- 1 backpack for mom
- 1 backpack for dad
- 1 extra carry on with emergency clothes
On the following trip we decided to head back to our honeymoon spot of Jamaica! Oh, how excited I was to be back and to share it with my then 5 year old kids! My loving husband reminded me about the horrible suitcase situation and challenged me to only use 1 large suitcase for the ENTIRE family! It is here that God reminded me of the strain my poor husband went through with those bags! Ugh, so with a "smile" I said yes to both of them!
First things first! What do we NOT need to take!? I started taking out snacks (triplets are big enough to eat whatever is available), floaties (they knew how to swim now), blankies (big kids, no more need for those) & books (downloaded on ipads). Ok that's as good as it gets baby!!! Once I took these things off the list and realized that all I needed to pack was clothes....MY LIFE CHANGED!!!!!
No more carrying around loads of "things" that I may or may not need. "Things" that somehow brought a false sense of comfort. "Things" that caused distractions. "Things" that hindered us from moving freely. "Things" that tied us down. "Things" we held onto because of dependency. What freedom!!!!!!
Once I sat there and stared at the empty suitcase on the floor and the mounds of clothes still to pack I realized.....we don't even "need" these mounds of clothes! 5 sundresses per girl, 2 bathing suits and tons of underwear! 4 shorts for boys, 5 shirts, 2 pool shorts and tons of underwear! There, we were packed!! AND GUESS WHAT....HALF THE SUITCASE WAS STILL EMPTY!
What a perspective on my life! Given the right direction, challenge and vision we can all leave "things" behind that no longer serve us! Matthew 11:30 tells us "For my yoke is easy and burden is LIGHT." So how many years, detours, frustrations and tears have these "things" caused us? My friends, how easily we get fooled into believing that we need anything other than God with us. We need to stop and inspect our suitcases!
These "things" we carry with us slow us on our JOURNEY because of their weight and keep us from our PURPOSE because of the fatigue caused by the weight. So why do we insist on lugging around unforgiveness, hurts, bitterness, resentment and hate? Who is truly choosing to pack these things in our suitcase AND on top of that who is sitting on them to make it all fit? The answer is us! We have the power to speak to that which we choose not to carry any longer!
So take a moment today, inspect your suitcase and throw out what is not serving you on your journey! If it does not propel you forward it holds you back! SO GO UNPACK & TRAVEL LIGHT!!!!!!
Isaiah 58:8 “Then your salvation will come like the dawn and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind."
Psalm 30:2
O Lord my God, I cried to You and You have healed me.
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