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Baggage. Less of It.
Think of it. One of the best ways we learn is by
hearing stories. Wonderful biographies of others’ exploits; encouraging
enactments of heroic quests; exciting adventures that inspire us to press on in
our own lives.
Even little kids love to sit on the floor, look
up, and hear fascinating stories that let their young imaginations fill in the
unspoken words surrounded by glorious images.
So here is a story for you, to help you envision
some hopeful results.
Two traveling men, one age 56 with a full beard
and long hair to match it, and the other 67, with somewhat the beginnings of the
balding status on the front line, set out from a rather busy airport on the
east side of the land split by a major river…to cross the Big Pond to a
promised land.
One bag apiece, weighing under the allowed 50
pounds/bag, was checked in at the airline counter. A nice lady served them, and
once all set, they went and awaited the boarding of their Boeing 747-400 plane.
All seemed well. Seemingly, of course. Until the huge plane and the
approximately 430 passengers arrived at the foreign destination at the
receiving end of the international flight.
Trusting that the checked luggage also arrived in
good order as they did, they made their way through customs, straight to the
baggage delivery section. They waited. They waited some more. They waited until
nothing was left that came around the carousel oval-moving belt.
Their checked baggage did not arrive.
Nada. Nope. Not here.
Getting on the high-speed rail from the airport
to the capital city of the Land, Jerusalem, Israel, took only 22 minutes. It
was an enjoyable trip mingling with the sabras (native-born citizens), and with
less heavy baggage to carry and maneuver up the four major long escalators to
above ground, the final leg to the hostel on the light rail train brought back
memories not forgotten from over 2.5 years ago.
The two weary men, a bit more hair having grown
on their faces during the 17-hour total time trip, shuttled to their reserved
room and collapsed. On the one bed. (Another story. Another day.)
One day passed. Two days more. Then one checked
bag arrived. The other’s did not.
Three days, then four. Clap your hands and wait
some more.
Two hours before departing from the hostel for
the return trip home, the second checked bag arrived at the front desk. Joy
erupted as some very special and valuable items in that bag were returned to
the owner, from whence wherever they had been for 10 days.
During those days of “less clothing, less
baggage” a natural lesson was learned.
The moral of the story is this: you can do
without a lot more than you think you can. You need less baggage than you
thought you did and will still get by.
Also, a spiritual lesson can be taught from this.
What you think you need to walk with, you really don’t. The comforts once
thought to be essential are not as important as you think they are. Prepare for
what is ahead.
The Lord has you covered. You can get by with a
lot less than you think and come out ok on the other end. (The 20,000 Ukrainians
landing in Israel after escaping war in their land, many with all but one bag
to their name, is also a major visual for all of us. One bag sometimes is all
you need.)
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of
witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the
sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that
is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of
faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2, NASU
Ahava and shalom,
Steve Martin
Love For His People
founder
