great a cloud of witnesses,let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
and let us run with patience the race set before us.
Hebrews
12:1
I love to travel—a goal of mine
being to explore as many of the world’s seven continents as possible. When
wanderlust strikes, I look at the globe my mother gave me for Christmas years
ago, asking myself, where to next?
Once I decide, as any road warrior knows, careful packing and preparation for
the trip are critical to match the right wardrobe to the trip’s intent. However,
packing is still an area in which I need work. It takes me days to get my
clothes and other items together—even for short trips. Seems like the older I
get, putting the essential things in my luggage is more challenging— that list having
expanded due to my need for more of a variety of items to attend to the signs
of aging’s gifts.
My ‘living large’ episode of packing came when I went on a three-month
jaunt to Europe back in late 1986. The purpose of this journey was ‘to find myself,’
after leaving the army and two corporate jobs. Maybe some clarity would come to
my life as I traversed the “old country” minus some of the daily pressures of
work for a while.
Organizing my packing list for the
trip was a nightmare— as I tortured myself by continually thinking, what if I don’t take this and can’t find it
in a foreign country, or the price may be three times what I would pay for it
at home. Trying to minimize the
space-taker bulky pieces was also a challenge. Since the time of my excursion
bordered the seasons of late fall entering winter, this meant I needed coats
and sweaters—but how many or how heavy was reasonable?
My luggage of choice was an old Army
duffle bag—good for cramming in numerous articles of clothing in its flexible
fabric’s design. Then I decided another suitcase was needed for my overflow. Now
the question, how would I carry these big
pieces? I forgot that I would be lugging these bags through European airports,
train stations, hotels and the houses of gracious friends and relatives. This
was before the onslaught of rolling luggage options so you really got a workout
grabbing and heaving your bags. Weight restrictions for checked bags and
height-design limitations for carry-on pieces weren’t in place then either so
it really was a ‘bring it all’ mindset. Fortunately, my youngest brother was stationed
in Italy and my sister along with others I knew were stationed throughout
Germany. They all allowed me to leave luggage at their houses to lighten my
cargo. Or as I shopped and added to my belongings, there were other things I
decided to leave behind. Carrying too much baggage would’ve been cumbersome and
diminished the joy of my trip.
And so it is on our journeys in
life.
I’ve picked up trunks of good and
bad experiences at various stops on my odyssey. Satchels of safety and love
have kept my spirit in check at times but sent me spiraling into the emotional
danger zone too. Cases of career skills
have provided opportunities for me to use passion and practicality in my work
yet leave me on a low financial plain occasionally. I’ve carried on pieces of
other folks’ issues when I should’ve left them behind. In moving forward I think about the song
“Ease on Down the Road” from the production of The Wiz which advises, “Don’t
you carry nothing that might be a load.”
How
do we ‘shed the stuff’ that holds us back; that robs us of a lighter sense of
peace?
Do
we just keep piling it on, thinking every day is winter and we need the heavy
things?
Is
there a (safe) place to leave it? What’s
the cost if we don’t let go and trust?
First we release to make space. Unpacking
and leaving those experiences behind that only drag us down can unencumber our
journey. Then we repack for better days. As the slogan for the New Year goes: ‘Out
with the old and in with the new.’ This situates us for the next blessings in
store. God and a host of angels are watching and cheering us on to get those
blessings. We don’t have to lift our baggage alone. Faith gives us a place to
unload. It’s located everywhere.
Clear the load and travel lightly on
in the races ahead. Identifying porters to help us can give us an extra boost when
we need one. Run on!
Excerpted from my motivational
autobiography, Navigating Life’s Roadways: Stories of Insight from My Odyssey
and Inspiration for Your Journey in print and Kindle eBook http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FQDPYE
