Packing and Unpacking

I LOVE TO TRAVEL!!!  Over the years I have had the opportunity to visit Germany, Russia, Australia, India, Mexico, Canada and many places throughout the US.  Preparing for my journey is always exciting as I anticipate the departure date.  I am a bit of a procrastinator...so I am usually packing the night before.  When I travel overseas however I have to do a lot of preparation - Passport, Visa, clothing, toiletries, and items to entertain myself for the long journey.  When I am on an airplane for twenty-four hours I make sure to have some really good music, reading material, ear plugs, a sleep mask and a warm blanket.  I prepare myself mentally that I am going to be in a cramped space for a really, really, really long time.  And if I have a window seat I have to be prepared to disturb my aisle buddy when I need to use the bathroom.  This can be a hard task if we are on different sleep schedules! 

I have made some pretty long journeys and have found travelling to worthiness has been the longest and hardest journey so far.  Just like my other trips I have seen some amazing sights and have met some incredible people.  On the other hand I have gotten exhausted along the way and have realized I forgot my earplugs and a warm blanket.  Without those earplugs I hear a lot of negative words that tell me I am unworthy, not good enough, no one cares about me, no man will ever choose me.  I need to lose weight, whiten my teeth, be funnier, be more serious, be more adventurous and do things that compromise my beliefs to get what I want.  At times my heart has grown cold and I have felt all alone. 

These negative words are bags I need to unpack.  They are not needed and are not helpful in my travels.   The funny thing is they almost seem to jump right in my luggage without me knowing it.  Circumstances or things people say seem to reinforce that I need to take them with me, that they define my journey and that the negative words I hear are true. 

When I travel to a new place I consult an expert on the climate, culture, the best hotels, and the sites to see and the sites to avoid.  An expert is going to tell me what to bring and what to leave at home.  The best advice I got was to bring a bandana with me to India.  I went to the local store and got the cheapest red one I could find (red because it is my favorite color).  I figured it was something I would buy but not end up using it so I did not want to spend a lot of money.  When we arrived in India it was somewhere around 120 degrees and I was wearing sweat pants to stay warm on the airplane.  We were picked up in a very compact hatchback.  We stuffed four people and luggage for three in the car.  It was so hot the air conditioning in the car could not keep up with the heat.  The first thing I pulled out of my bag was that beautiful, red bandana to wipe off the sweat dripping down my forehead.  I had never been to India before and had no idea how useful that bandana was going to be!  Thank you expert!!!

The  expert in my travel to worthiness is God's Word.  His Word tells me what I need for my journey and tells me what to leave at the foot of the cross.  I do not know why I insist on taking heavier bags than I need or leave behind the things I need the most.  Paying for bags over the weight limit is a much higher cost than God has asked me to pay.  He has already paid the price for my unworthiness - He paid it through Jesus Christ. 

Through the power of His blood and the Word of my testimony there is power to defeat these negative words.  As I write this BLOG it does not mean I have arrived at my destination but it does remind me that my enemy has been defeated and the negative words are untrue!!!  Remember this as you travel through this life.  God is with us on this journey.  I do not need to send him a postcard because He is WITH me!