Baggage

I was privileged to attend a Hearts at Home conference this past weekend and the experience was wonderful! The time with friends was needed, the opportunity to praise was marvelous, the encouragement was welcomed and the lessons were endless. And as I unpacked my bags I pondered a topic that has come up a lot lately. (Do you suppose there's a reason for that?)

I had put off unpacking since I had returned on Saturday night and began to think about my reasons for that. Because really it was fun packing on Friday as I prepared for my night away - the fun wasn't limited to my bags but my 3 children as well since they had plans for a sleepover at Grandma's. Now days later it seemed the fun had disappeared.

As I did what I had to do, my laundry pile grew and eventually the suitcases were empty, but thoughts turned to the internal baggage I rarely even set down let alone unpack. Just as we're eager to pack our bags when we're going away we do the same with the mistakes we've made and pain we've experienced. We fold it up, put it away and think others won't see it once it's been hidden.

Then for one reason or another the time comes when the bags have to be unpacked and it doesn't matter if it's a real duffel bag or a suitcase in the heart, we tend to drag our feet when facing this task. Nothing ever comes out as neat and tidy as when we put it in and just like my kids had some explaining to do with the things I found in their bags, we're forced to do the same with issues from the heart.

Like I said I eventually did unpack my bags and it felt good to have the job done. I was no longer forced to step around or trip over the out of place suitcases. The mess was gone and the same is true when we unpack the baggage of our heart. It feels good, provides peace and cleans up our heart.