“But guess what – all that baggage – it comes with you. You drag it everywhere you go. Every place you move and you hand it over to everyone you meet. Imagine slugging around 5 pieces of luggage, your briefcase, your handbag and throw in for good measure a 12-lb bowling ball and bag – and there you go. A baggage-carrying heap of pain and sorrow.”

“So what does a person do with all that? Well I’ll go over that on part 2. In the meantime be thinking about all your baggage and imagine what it would feel like to set it all down and rest….”

So last time I wrote I was speaking about what it would feel like to let all that baggage go, set it down if you will and rest. Take a break from all the pain and sorrow you have been carrying around your whole life. That, I can speak to, I have been working on for my entire life, but especially for the past 3 years since my daughter died. My daughters death has forced me to look at my life, re-evaluate my life and slowly peel back the layers upon layers of pain, fear and sorrow aka baggage I’ve been carrying for a long time.

After many months of evaluating where my life had been and where it was going I have come to know that I, Malissa, have very little control over God’s plan for my life. Because I believe God had my life planned out before I was born. But what I do have control over is how I choose to live that life that God had intended for me to have.  The choices I make can change my path so quickly. In fact, some of the choices can possibly obscure my vision and create havoc – the kind of havoc that can change your life forever.

I have now learned that I have to slow down and experience life, soak up what is happening before I make any decisions. Especially decisions that might affect the rest of my life. In today’s world life can come at you so very quickly. Often catching you by surprise or off guard leading us to make quick decisions. Sometimes the wrong decisions.

So that leads me to how do I see myself putting down that baggage and slowing my life down. To find space for growth and development. To get to a place where I can put my feet up and relax.  For me I have had to go back to the basics of my faith. It’s in finding the quiet time with God and His word that I can begin to find some peace. Something that has been sorely missing from my life for so very long.

Today’s world just keeps on coming at us at a pace that is sometimes hard to see yesterday – today – tomorrow. It’s as if life is passing by so fast before my eyes and I can’t figure where to get off the merry-go-round of life long enough to stop and catch my breath. Again I say I have to stop and get quiet. My time has become more precious to me. The importance of not over commiting and commiting to my own peace and sanity has to take priority.

My promise to myself is to sit down, unload my baggage, and put my feet up. Take the time to honor myself and honor God – because He is in control and I’m just along for the ride.

until next time

m