Flying Right

My husband and I took a trip to Lamu not too long ago. Although we were only going to be there for three days, I wanted to have a comfortable selection of clothes I could use. My husbands advice was to take a small carry on bag but I resisted the idea. He reminded me that we would be using a much smaller plane flying to Lamu and the weight allowed is less. I compromised and took a smaller bag that had wheels on it but not the tiny carry on!

At the airport he was proved right. I was really surprised as I felt that my bag was small enough! My patient husband had to stand there as I tried unsuccessfully to convince the airline official that my bag was indeed small and would fit inside the plane and it qualified as hand luggage. The long suffering official finally just put his foot down and told me that once we got on the plane I would understand.

Disappointed and agitated I got on the plane. It was small. 

I got a nice seat by the window and placed my rather heavy handbag on my lap. In it was a Bible, journal, devotional book, make up and other “essentials” I felt I could not do without on the one and a half hour flight to Lamu. Almost immediately the steward asked me to put my bag in the overhead compartment! I had a choice. To cling to my big handbag and convince them I needed everything in it or to cooperate and hand it over meekly after choosing just one thing I could not do without on the trip. So, I quickly pulled out my devotional book and handed in my handbag with all the possibilities in it for delightful occupation on the trip.

In His wisdom God took all my tools for preoccupation so that He could have my undivided attention to teach me a lesson I would not forget in a hurry!

In Matt 11;28, the Lord tells us,  “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest for my yoke is easy and my burden light.” God showed me that as Christians we come to Him with all our burdens ready to board the flight called salvation. We come in with those things we deem absolutely necessary though His word has told us to cast down our cares and to let Him take care of us.We come with our toxic relationships, plans and schemes. Instead of entrusting our future to Him and seeking His will for our lives, we give him a long list telling him how to direct fix our lives. Then we get upset when we find ourselves in the same problem, dealing with the same issues.

I was challenged and I found myself pondering these questions: Have you truly surrendered your life to God or are you still doing your thing hoping He will make things work out for you in the way that you want?

As I meditated on that scripture I realized that, spiritually, in some aspects of my life, I thought I was on the plane, but in reality I was stuck at the airport trying to convince the officials my way was better. In this case the official is God and His way of salvation, the plane.

I know that by this time some of you are nodding and you can relate to my analogy. This is not just about me now, this is about us.

 Finally you get on the plane, you let go of the things that have pulled you down and you submit to the Heavenly Official of your life. But there is baggage you still carry. No one may notice it and it might not even be obvious. In some cases it might not even be ‘sin’ issues. It could just be a rotten attitude towards life, laziness, giving into fears and frustrations. You know what keeps you from the joy and freedom that Christ has promised you. He means it when He says ‘come unto me and I will give you rest’. God wants us to move through life rested and peaceful in our Spirit.

If you are restless, agitated, heavy laden, check yourself. Are you trusting in God or in yourself? Have you given Him all your cares and are you keeping the requirments given you in order to get on the plane called Salvation?

After more than thirty years of serving God and walking with Him I have learnt and relearnt this lesson over and over again. I change and I forget sometimes but Gods word does not change. So when I find that I have strayed from the place of rest and peace, I retrace my steps and go back to the place where I last experienced His rest and peace. I have to go to God as I do this and prayerfully allow him to show me what baggage I have picked up so that I can cast it down once again and live free in Him.