“Come to Me,
all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take
My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and
you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
It’s getting
close to my fall conference season, and that means airplane travel. I don’t
mind flying, but I absolutely hate packing. You see, I’m a chronic overpacker.
A few years ago,
one of my travels gave me trouble. This particular
trip was a bigger than usual challenge because I was going to be away for nine
days.
I spent several
days planning my wardrobe—packing and repacking—weighing and reweighing the
suitcase. I was determined to come in under the fifty-pound maximum. Finally
success! I even had two and a quarter pounds to spare. I was off, zipping
through check-in with no problem, literally flying high.
I enjoyed my
week and a half with other writers. It’s always fun to get away with people who
truly understand the way your mind works. But in the midst of having fun, I
didn’t pay attention to the extra stuff I was accumulating. At these
conferences publishers and authors give away tons of books…literally. And I’m a
writer—I can never turn down the temptation of a free book—especially from
friends! I didn’t prioritize what I needed to carry home versus
what I just wanted to carry home.
It turned out there
was be a big difference and a high cost.
By the time I
had to check back in for the return trip home, I knew I was in trouble. Sure
enough, when the clerk at the counter weighed my bag it was four pounds
overweight. For those of you who aren’t aware, airlines are serious about
weight limits. The overage cost me a cool one hundred dollars extra to get
home.
As I pondered
what I could have done differently, I couldn’t help but draw the comparison of
the spiritual weight I carry with me daily. The expectations I take up without
reason, the stress and worry I add to my load, and of course the guilt. Some of
the guilt comes from things I should or shouldn’t have done—true sin. But a lot
of it comes from things I just believe I should carry—whether God agrees or
not.
This extra load comes
from not paying attention, from not prioritizing the experiences in my life.
I’ve learned, through experience, this extra load can cost even more. It can
lead to burn-out, exhaustion (physical and mental), and worst of all,
depression. Whenever I see that I’m overloaded, I come back to these verses and
hand over all the extra stuff to Jesus. I exchange what I thought I wanted for
what He knows I need. And it’s ALWAYS more manageable load.