Lugging Unneccessary Luggage

“Remember the time when …” my six year old said to me with a playful twinkle in her eye. She is a teaser and she loves to remind me of silly things. I’m not sure why, but she loves this story.

Almost 20 years ago, my husband and I were newly married and heading out to Telluride, Colorado to go skiing with my husband’s father. It was a long drive from Milwaukee in our 1990 red Camry. With the AAA flip map in hand, we stuffed the little car full with all that we would need and then some ....

I remember the trip, but I forgot one comical detail -- the "then some." Apparently (and I was just recently reminded of this), I was concerned that once we arrived in Colorado that I would not be able to keep up with the skiing skills of my husband and his father, and that I may get bored. I wanted to make sure I had something to fall back on.

I thought I needed a “back pocket -- just in case” provisional plan and (are you ready for this?) it was my circa 1980’s portable White sewing machine. For 2800 miles round trip, we carted that heavy machine in the back of the car. I have no idea what I was thinking. Some sort of safety net, I guess. I never used it. We just lugged it there and lugged it back.

As I’ve been giggling about the story with the kids, I’ve been thinking about other less material luggage that I lug along in life.

Sometimes, on long and uncertain journeys in life, we carry things with us that we really don’t need. We fear the “what if’s,” and may either intentionally or unintentionally cart along some unnecessary items. These things weigh us down. They are burdensome. They take up space and make the journey more difficult. Defense mechanisms. Old ways of life. Coping mechanisms. Self-sufficiency.

We take things in to our own hands, lugging them around, instead of allowing God to direct our paths. We can’t imagine that there is something for us on the end of the journey, that is different and good, and so we bring along with us that which we do not need, to fall back on when we are in a pinch.

A sewing machine. It was harmless enough, but I know better for the journeys in life. Just for today – that is how we should live -- trusting God for what He has for us and not worrying about tomorrow (Matthew 6:25). We can trust Him that He will provide just what we need, staying open to what He may have for us in new and different ways. We can choose a willingness to sit in the uncertainty of time unfilled, trusting Him to fill it with His presence or service to others or blessings that we could never imagine.

Dear reader, I don’t know about you but I need to take stock of what I may be carrying in to today, that I really do not need, choosing to leave it behind, trusting God for all things, and looking to see what opportunities are in today. Just for today.