Excess Baggage
November 10, 2011
I’m talented in many areas (writing, for one) but keeping a routine is not my strong suite. Any kind of routine. Most nights I fall asleep on the couch with a full face of makeup, I floss occasionally, and I have a hard time regulating time. Why? I’m an extremely creative person and my mind is often in la-la land thinking up my next grand scheme.
Tonight after coming home, I thought to myself that I’ll clean this Saturday. But then as I looked at the few dishes in the kitchen sink, smelled the litter box, and saw my hair and makeup products strewn across the vanity, I decided to do a quick straightening. So I started first with going through the mail, then scooping the litter, and by the time I got to the two-day old dishes in the sink, it hit me. If I did this everyday it wouldn’t build up into a seemingly insurmountable mess. I know, brilliant, right? Stay with me, my deep thought is coming.
I have a lot of issues, strongholds of the mind, past hurts. It seems my excess baggage has somehow made the three hour move with me in my memories, although I don’t remember packing those bags when preparing to move. Tonight as I was cleaning, my big idea was if I kept a regular routine of journaling and releasing it to Jesus and asked for healing, or forgiveness, or grace, or whatever the case, for all of the offenses, mistakes, and hurts from the day, then they wouldn’t build up and become moldy, stinking messes after holding it in so long. There are things that happened to me as far back as 5 years ago that still tick me off anytime I think about it. Now, if that’s not a problem, I don’t know what is!
Pastor Eugene has spent the past two weeks preaching “Baggage. Live free. Travel light.” I’m sick of lugging around a purse, a carry-on, a suitcase, and a trunk filled with history. It’s time to unpack.
November 10, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Well written, Kim. Thank you for posting this. I think we all can fall short of taking “inventory” of our baggage. And sometimes, when we don’t intend it to, our load can get so big that it spills into other areas of our lives.
I just recently went through a situation where my own sin and the hurts that I’ve carried with me from the past came into light through some of the most unexpected–dare I say, incredibly humbling (though at the time it was pretty embarrassing)–sort of ways. One night I was in a gathering of friends, and our purpose that evening was to pray for one particular friend who was seeking the Lord with a big life decision he needed to make. We started praying and, very soon into our prayers, he felt led to pray for me! The Lord wanted me to confess of my sin and to let go of some of the past hurts that I had been holding on to. Wow. Talk about an unexpected, and quite exposing, surprise! Well, we did as the Spirit led and I confessed my sins to the Lord and laid my burdens at the foot of the cross. It wasn’t easy, and I felt so much better after, but I wasn’t expecting that to happen that night! NO ONE was expecting that to happen that night! I do believe, though, that for a very precise reason, God wanted me free of the baggage I was carrying, and He had to let it invade another area of my life so that my freedom could finally take place. And praise God that He did!
I would agree with you, however, that the path of personal holiness is a daily discipline of acknowledging our weakness and sinfulness before Jesus, “unpacking our bags,” and accepting His imminent and lasting grace for us. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Praise God for this truth! For I know I would be a mess without it.
November 11, 2011 at 5:35 am
Love this post. It’s speaking to me to make some changes in my own life. Thanks!
November 11, 2011 at 3:18 pm
Hi Kim,
It’s nice to see you blog again. Hey you don’t have me to nag you to do those chores. LOL!
I love you and am praying for you!
Hugs,
Mom