Regardless of how much you take on a trip, you have a choice about how to pack it.
I have a friend who over-packs for every trip. She’s not sure what she needs, so she takes it all. I, on the other hand, pack as little as possible. I choose versatile pieces of clothing and solid colors that go with anything. Khaki, black, and brown are the staple colors of my traveling wardrobe. My friend, however, has been known to pack three pairs of flip-flops for one trip. When we meet up at the same location, I’m amazed at her enormous suitcase, and she’s astounded at my little duffle bag.
If you fold everything neatly, you won’t get as much into your bag. But if you’re willing to roll and squish your clothing, you can get more in the same amount of space. It’s messy—and things could wrinkle—but you’ve got more stuff.
Our relationship with God is similar. If I want my life filled with God, it might look messy. When I’m crammed full of Jesus, the choices I make sometimes don’t make sense to others. I can control my life and make everything look neat and tidy, or I can let God overflow and let go of my desire to impress others and to look like I have everything together.
God’s paths might be confusing or might cause others to look askance at me. And I’d rather have my life in orderly stacks I can understand and control. But having more of God is more important than having a life that looks pretty to others.
Make an effort today to let go of control—even if the result looks messier than you’d like—so you can be filled with the power, justice, and might of the Holy Spirit.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Karen R. M. Koch resides in east central Indiana. She teaches middle school English and lives on a five-acre hobby farm with her husband and a small menagerie. She spends her time writing in a little cabin in the woods and studying to improve both her writing and her teaching.