Pack Lighter!

    

 Its been a long time since I had a dream that I felt meant something spiritual. I usually am just running around on some adventure and wake up feeling more exhausted than when I went to bed. Welcome to my life! lol  Anyways, I dreamed that my family was scheduled to get on some sort of subway type thing and it was of dire importance that we didn't miss the train. When we arrived at the terminal the person that was supposed to let us on informed me that I had WAY too much stuff to take with me and there was no room for it. When I turned around to see what she was talking about I realized that behind me was a ginormous stack of junk behind me all spewing out of the many bags and boxes that were there. I quickly began to try and downsize what I knew I wouldn't need and kept getting told that it was still too much. So I was cramming things down into my huge Thirty-One bag and trying to decide what was not important and could be thrown away. I was very frustrated and confused by the idea of having to get rid of things knowing they would only go in the trash. Then I woke up...

     Immediately I wondered what that dream was all about. Why did I dream such a vivid dream that cramped my style so much? I didn't have to dig very hard to realize that God had a message in there for me and it was loud and clear. I was going to have to reduce some things in my life in order to move forward. It wasn't the first time he tried to tell me that, but sometimes I need a good, swift, kick in the pants in order to realize what I already know.
      I have taken on a lot of extra things lately and have been trying to balance it all perfectly. I had no idea that believing that I could do EVERYTHING was a form of pride and it was another thing that had to go!
     The big kicker to all this was that when I went to church Sunday morning the sermon was all about addressing the elephant in the room. Actually... it was the whale behind you. I know that sounds kind of strange but the sermon began with Aaron talking about an incident that happened in 2004 in Taiwan. The short version is that a marine biologist had an amazing opportunity to study a whale found off shore that was dead. He worked diligently to get the whale removed and taken to his lab at the university only to be told that there was no room to do such a task there. In transport the whale was doing what dead animals do and was getting all warmed up in the sun and creating methane in its body. The pressure was just too much and exploded all over a busy town in Taiwan. I am quite sure that the smell and mess was unbearable!  So, like that dead whale that been pulled around town behind a truck, I too was guilty of carrying around things that I didn't need to be transporting. Luckily I realized this BEFORE my whale exploded. I won't lie though...it was a close one! 
     So pack light friends and don't go hauling around things you don't need to. Jesus told us,

"Come to Me, all you 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 shall find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy,

and My load is light."

Matthew 11:28-30

 

Thank goodness he has a light load and he will give us the much needed rest that we need. I am going to downsize a bit so don't be suprised if I say that word that I dread saying from the pit of my soul....NO. I am packing lighter.