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I’m writing this "reflection"while seated at Sky Harbor Airport waiting for a flight to Chicago.  I’m on my way to a women’s retreat, where I’ll be speaking somewhere in Indiana.  Traveling is not my favorite thing.  I’m always fine when I arrive, but it’s the preparation to “go” that is difficult for me.  Will my flight be on time?  What kind of delays might I encounter?  Will my bags arrive when I do?  Will the person next to me take up the entire seat and mine?  But the biggest question of all is: Did I pack the right things?  Or, did I remember everything I’ll need?  Since I worry so much, I always over-pack.  Then I’m stuck hauling all this luggage through airport terminals: the monster bag I check with all my clothes, the right-at-the-weight-limit book bag (I generally have to take a bag with the books we’ve written to sell at events), a computer bag, and a carry-on bag that includes my bible, my notes, and other extras I might need during the flight.  By the time I arrive where I’m going, my back hurts, my shoulder aches, and I’m already worn out.  I always look with envy on the women who board a plane with just a little purse.  How do they do that?  The worse part of it all is that most of what I take is unnecessary.  I almost never even use half of what I pack.

 

<>As I sit here, minus two bags that just got checked, but two bags still at my feet, I’m thinking how much like the Christian life traveling is.  Even the apostle Peter made mention of the fact that we are just “aliens and strangers in the world in which we live.”  As believers we carry a “heavenly passport” representing our real home.  Like me, on this trip, most of us are on this journey with a lot of extra weight.  Whoever wrote the book of Hebrews (12:1-3) recommends we get rid of the additional burden and travel lightly.  Most of the stuff in our luggage just holds us back.  He even gives us a checklist of the stuff we can get rid of:

Hindrances:  We’re talking, anything that obstructs the journey.  What gets in your way?  Here’s a big one – temptations.  We spend a whole lot of emotional energy fighting the temptations along the pathway of our lives.  It’s bad enough trying to deal with the ones that seem to just pop up, but a lot of times we carry those “worldly things” right along with us. Instead, Paul tells us not just to put ‘em down, but run away from them (I Cor. 10:13).

Sin:  Unfortunately, some of us carry along “pet sins” – just in case. We need to confess those things, eliminate them from our bags, and move forward (I John 1:9)!

Distractions: Got anything in your bags that’s diverting your attention from why you’re on the journey in the first place?  The Lord calls these things – idols! Don’t just get rid of them – burn them!

I may never be one of those gals who will ever travel with just a purse on board, but I certainly hope while on this “spiritual journey” of life, I travel much lighter.  A word to the wise…it’s not that long of a journey, we may as well enjoy it!  Extra luggage really is very tiring!