10-30-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
October 30, 2024
I was sitting in the airport early Monday morning, catching a flight from Amarillo to Phoenix via Denver. The size and amount of luggage that people attempted to bring on as “carry-on” was rather laughable. I understand that business people need to keep their belongings close, often making multiple stops in a span of a couple of days. Others have had a bad experience with lost luggage, yet there was one couple who carried onto the plane so much luggage that I couldn’t imagine there was anything left in their closets at home. Or maybe they were trying to save money by packing their children inside their multiple bags. Now being completely transparent, I do tend to take one too many outfits when I travel, no matter the duration of my trip, but I only carry-on my backpack while checking my other bag. 

Seeing all the carry-on luggage sort of served as a metaphor for all the excessive “stuff” we carry with us in life. How good are we at relinquishing, letting go, setting down, giving away, or imposing limits on ourselves when it comes to the things we no longer need or might never have actually needed? Learning to live with less would serve many of us well, but today, let’s ponder the unhealthy emotional baggage we carry with us. Please understand that I am NOT suggesting to just get over something that was painful, such as a significant loss or trauma. Thinking that some deeply painful event can or should be overcome quickly has never ended well. Those who believe they have quickly moved on are usually the folks who discover that what they thought was left behind was, in fact, taking a free ride in the backseat of their subconscious. And like the couple who brought on the multiple carry-ons, not only were they exhausted trying to navigate the aisle, but they indirectly caused problems for others. Thank goodness a flight attendant stepped in and took two of the bags as there was no longer any spare room in the overhead compartments. Of course, the flight attendant only provided a reprieve from the access baggage. 

The question becomes: How do we do the intentional work to carry less with us? It begins with two things mentioned in that question. First, the “we” is amazingly helpful, whether that is a support group, therapist, trusted friend, or maybe a Sunday School class. Second, we must be “intentional” in this work, recognizing that letting go of the painful stuff happens only if we approach it deliberately and consistently. Question: What’s the heavy experience from your past that you continue to carry as if it is a must-have, when in fact, it is not what God hopes for you or your health?

Bless and strengthen me, O Kind and Merciful God, as I invite others to help me in this important and purposeful work of letting go of the unnecessary and unhealthy stuff that I find myself carrying. Amen.