Baggage…. We all have it. Some of us have carry ons, some of us have medium sized duffle bags, and some of us have a full luggage set. Some of us carry our baggage on our shoulders, some of us carry it on our backs, some of us in our hands, and some of us carry it all over us. We carry baggage to work, on vacation, and in our relationships… we carry baggage EVERYWHERE and then have the nerve to wonder why we feel so heavy and weighted down.
Some of us are juggling so much baggage that the look of exhaustion and being overwhelmed causes others to feel obligated to assist & ask, “Do you need help with that?” And then some of us are fumbling, fidgeting, & stumbling so much with our baggage & literally force it unto others, disregarding the fact that perhaps others have their own bag(s) to carry and its not their responsibility to carry our luggage just because we over pack with so many unnecessary items.
Speaking only for myself, I have even more recently come to realize that I have been carrying other folk’s baggage for a long while & its time that I let everyone know that this will not and cannot continue. Please don’t mistake what I’m saying… its not that I don’t love you because I do, its not that I’m not praying for you because I am but the fact of the matter is that your baggage has taken over my storage room, leaves no space in my car trunk, and has completely cluttered my closets. YOUR baggage CANNOT consume my life. If I’ve tried to help you with your addiction (alcoholism, gambling, drugs, etc.) and you have not accepted my help or made any efforts for your own treatment, then that is YOUR issue/YOUR baggage. If I’ve extended myself to you as a friend, offered you support and sincerely meant you well and you betray that, then that is YOUR issue/YOUR baggage. If after years of no communication, I extend an invitation for closure because I’ve long ago forgiven you but you have not forgiven me, then that is YOUR issue/YOUR baggage. If you make a mess of the relationships in your life & choose not to learn from them yet continue to do the same things expecting different results, then that is YOUR issue/YOUR baggage.
I don’t mean to sound selfish or as if I don’t care about other people’s baggage because I do care. But I can’t care more about your stuff than you do. Stop balling your things up & throwing them in the bag! Take the time to carefully evaluate your things, fold them neatly and determine if it is in fact something that is truly needed in your travels on this beautiful journey of life. Psalm 55:22 says “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.” I’m not perfect, I admit, I may have a small carry on bag. But we all have to learn to allow God to carry our baggage… allow Him to take charge of how we pack.
So pack light… the cost of the luggage set isn’t worth the weight it carries. Release yourself from the bondage of excess baggage. "Ain't no feeling like being FREE!"
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
LIVE IN YOUR DASH!
Over the past week, I have become more & more aware of the reality of our mortality or as my Grandma used to say, “we all gotta go ‘way from here someday”. My neighbor died instantly of a heart attack (he was in his 40s), someone I know lost their son, a high school classmate lost her husband on their 1 year wedding anniversary (he was only 31 years old), and one of my nearest and dearest friend’s husband was severely injured in a motor cycle accident but by the grace of God, did not lose his life – all in one week. So forgive me if this “thought for the week” seems a bit morbid but this is what I’m lead to write…
Itisha Morgan (April 22, 1979- ) -- God gave me this beautiful life on April 22nd, 1979 and someday He will in fact call me home. Thankfully, at this present moment I’m living in my “dash” and there is not yet a date to follow it. Many of us think that death comes for the old or the sick but the fact of the matter is that we never know who, how or when. As it is easier said than done to accept, we know that God makes no mistakes.
But my question is… while we are still in the land of the living, what are we doing in our dash? While we are still breathing and able… what are we doing in our dash? Are we taking advantage of the opportunities that God has presented to us? Are we giving back to our community? Are we showing and telling our loved ones how much we love them? Are we investing in our children? Are we honoring God in our every day living? Do we in fact have a relationship with God? How can we make the most of our life/time in the dash?
I say all of that to say that tomorrow is not promised to any of us. We can’t wait to mend that broken relationship/friendship tomorrow because we may not in fact have that opportunity. We can’t wait until a later date to make positive changes in our lives because that date may not come. We can’t wait to enjoy the ones we love and tell them we love them because they may not get to hear it or we may not get to say it. We can’t wait to give back because the person who needs our helping hand or with whom we need to share our testimony may not be there to receive it or we may not be there to share it. There is no time like the present to do God’s work… we must live on purpose. There are so many of us, who were not fortunate to see this date and their dash has been completed with July 18, 2010. But if you are reading this, you are in fact still living in your dash. So again, what are you doing in your dash? When the appointed hour arrives for God to call you home, will you die or will you transition? When that dash is complete, will it be said, as in Matthew 25:23 “Well done, thy good and faithful servant”? Are you able to say, "May the work I've done, speak for me"?
Let not a day, an hour, a minute or a second go by without appreciating the very gift of life. Let us not take for granted the fact we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Please take this opportunity of life to truly LIVE IN YOUR DASH -
Itisha Morgan (April 22, 1979- ) -- God gave me this beautiful life on April 22nd, 1979 and someday He will in fact call me home. Thankfully, at this present moment I’m living in my “dash” and there is not yet a date to follow it. Many of us think that death comes for the old or the sick but the fact of the matter is that we never know who, how or when. As it is easier said than done to accept, we know that God makes no mistakes.
But my question is… while we are still in the land of the living, what are we doing in our dash? While we are still breathing and able… what are we doing in our dash? Are we taking advantage of the opportunities that God has presented to us? Are we giving back to our community? Are we showing and telling our loved ones how much we love them? Are we investing in our children? Are we honoring God in our every day living? Do we in fact have a relationship with God? How can we make the most of our life/time in the dash?
I say all of that to say that tomorrow is not promised to any of us. We can’t wait to mend that broken relationship/friendship tomorrow because we may not in fact have that opportunity. We can’t wait until a later date to make positive changes in our lives because that date may not come. We can’t wait to enjoy the ones we love and tell them we love them because they may not get to hear it or we may not get to say it. We can’t wait to give back because the person who needs our helping hand or with whom we need to share our testimony may not be there to receive it or we may not be there to share it. There is no time like the present to do God’s work… we must live on purpose. There are so many of us, who were not fortunate to see this date and their dash has been completed with July 18, 2010. But if you are reading this, you are in fact still living in your dash. So again, what are you doing in your dash? When the appointed hour arrives for God to call you home, will you die or will you transition? When that dash is complete, will it be said, as in Matthew 25:23 “Well done, thy good and faithful servant”? Are you able to say, "May the work I've done, speak for me"?
Let not a day, an hour, a minute or a second go by without appreciating the very gift of life. Let us not take for granted the fact we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Please take this opportunity of life to truly LIVE IN YOUR DASH -
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Who Are You In Love With?
Webster's Dictionary defines love as strong affection for another rising out of kinship or personal ties; warm attachment, enthusiam and devotion. Love for many of us has different meanings at different moments or for different situations. Each individual person probably has their own definition of what love is or means to them. Some of us use the word very loosely and for others of us, its a word that is very sacred and in no way taken lightly. The ways in which we receive and express love may also be different based on a number of factors including where we were raised and how our caregivers/parents showed us love.
It's interesting when we meet someone sometimes how quickly we can fall head over heels in love with that person. We spend hours in conversation with them, trying hard to get to know as much about them as possible. We laugh at their corny jokes and in turn entertain them with our own. We spend our nights and weekends going out to the movies, dinners, parks, bowling, etc. because this is helping to build our relationship. The more we communicate and interact, the closer that we feel to one another & the more intimate our relationship becomes. After a while, we begin to feel inseparable from this person and actually want to spend every possible moment in their presence. We want everyone to know that we are in love... we even change our Facebook status from "single" to "in a relationship". We really don't even have to tell anyone that we're in love because its evident in the glow on our faces, the gleem of our smiles, the pep in our walk, and the excitement in how we talk about that person. We invest much time and energy into the relationship. We are there when that person needs us, we do our best not to violate the relationship/disappoint the other person... we are more concerned about what we can do for the person that we love instead of what they can do for us. We even consult this person with major decisions that we make in our lives and the random daily difficulties & challenges that we face because they offer support and direction. We trust them. We make that person a priority in our lives because after all, we love them.
So what would happen if we invested that much time and energy into falling in love with God? What if God was our priority #1? What if we loved Him so much that we wanted the world to know so we shared His goodness with anyone who would listen? What if we spent time in His Word, getting to know Him on a personal and intimate level? What if we concerned ourselves more with what we can do for God versus what God can do for us? What if we first consulted Him about with big decisions and everyday challenges? What if we fully trust and dedicate our whole hearts to God? Is there any greater LOVE than this??!!
Deuteronomy 6:5 states "Love the Lord God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your strength". So I guess my question is... WHO are you in love with?
Praying that the way I LIVE is a good reflection of the one who DIED for me :)
It's interesting when we meet someone sometimes how quickly we can fall head over heels in love with that person. We spend hours in conversation with them, trying hard to get to know as much about them as possible. We laugh at their corny jokes and in turn entertain them with our own. We spend our nights and weekends going out to the movies, dinners, parks, bowling, etc. because this is helping to build our relationship. The more we communicate and interact, the closer that we feel to one another & the more intimate our relationship becomes. After a while, we begin to feel inseparable from this person and actually want to spend every possible moment in their presence. We want everyone to know that we are in love... we even change our Facebook status from "single" to "in a relationship". We really don't even have to tell anyone that we're in love because its evident in the glow on our faces, the gleem of our smiles, the pep in our walk, and the excitement in how we talk about that person. We invest much time and energy into the relationship. We are there when that person needs us, we do our best not to violate the relationship/disappoint the other person... we are more concerned about what we can do for the person that we love instead of what they can do for us. We even consult this person with major decisions that we make in our lives and the random daily difficulties & challenges that we face because they offer support and direction. We trust them. We make that person a priority in our lives because after all, we love them.
So what would happen if we invested that much time and energy into falling in love with God? What if God was our priority #1? What if we loved Him so much that we wanted the world to know so we shared His goodness with anyone who would listen? What if we spent time in His Word, getting to know Him on a personal and intimate level? What if we concerned ourselves more with what we can do for God versus what God can do for us? What if we first consulted Him about with big decisions and everyday challenges? What if we fully trust and dedicate our whole hearts to God? Is there any greater LOVE than this??!!
Deuteronomy 6:5 states "Love the Lord God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your strength". So I guess my question is... WHO are you in love with?
Praying that the way I LIVE is a good reflection of the one who DIED for me :)
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