Just unpacking my bags

I've been really struggling lately to really get a handle and a firm grip on my life. I was away for the weekend and couldn't help but feel that something was really weighing me down.

It was in this real time of dissapointment and despair that I stumbled across this great video about baggage.

For me this was a real message from God and as the tears began to flow from my eyes it was then in that moment of clarity that I recieved the blessing of this video and also the message from God that I really needed to address this.

For months now, slowly I have been so busy that I have neglected myself and my own wellbeing. The stress of life has been so great that I really put all of my energy into making sure everyone was ok... Now is the time that I change that. The line that really stood out for me was just how much of a lie 'Sticks and Stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me'. The Reality is it's not just the names; it's the thoughts, the pain, the denial, the rejection, the dissapointments, the struggles the broken dreams; All of these take a little bit of our spirit away and we end up being lost, exhausted, vunerable and lonely.

I have had conversations with people where the simple question of 'How are you?' is masked with a ignorant and neglected and maybe dishonest Yes everything is fine, I'm doing well... The reality is though that each time that happened a new piece of baggage was added to my travel weight.

The illustration that comes to mind is when you collect the baggage from the carousel at the airport... If you don't touch it, it just rolls on by, it has your name on it but without picking it up it's just a labelled bag. It is when you reach and pick it up that you take that bag and own it...... For us as travellers (Ilove travelling by the way), there is a weight limit. and The importance of this is so that the plane can be balanced and correctly fuelled to make the journey. We in life don't seem to apply that so we just take more and more on until we can't move off the tarmac let alone the runway.

But the answer my friends is simple. Jesus hung on a cross, and I like to think that when he was hanging there for me, he actually said my name and said to me... Come here, I see you are tired and I see you are hurt, but I am here on this cross because I love you this much... and with his arms outstretched he then looks me in the eyes and says, give me your bags and let me carry them for you.

Is it time for you to unpack this baggage and get rid of it... There is only one way to do this and it doesn't involve wearing the bags.

www.skitguys.com/videos/item/baggage-skit