Just Like Flying...

Remember when a plane ticket would take you and your four pieces of luggage anywhere you wanted to go?  You didn't have to plan every last item you put into a suitcase right down to the accessories.  If you thought you needed it you packed it (just in case). Unfortunately, things are so very different now. The more you carry, the more you have to pay. The more prepared you try to be, the more you have to "shell out"at the ticket counter. Now, lets say the plane is propelling you to your destiny and that baggage...well you figure that one out.  

So wait a minute--are you paying extra for your baggage"just in case"? 

There are often times when I reminisce about the relationships that I have had over the years. Over half of my friends and past loves put on their shoes and walked straight into my past. There are others, I still get some sort of pleasure out of knowing, that I beat them to the punch.  Inevitably one day, while reflecting, I began to wonder if I harbored any ill will toward these folks. I must admit YES, I am guilty!  Could my failed relationships have contributed to my current view and treatment of others? Maybe that's why I don't believe people's first words, promises, or why I always press the mute button on my feelings early into any relationship. Maybe that's why I I'm a squatter, not a sitter--no offense-- and I never put anything past anyone.

I realized that day, I am secretly protecting my heart, guarding it with due diligence.  I feel as though I'm pretty good at this too. I'm not bitter so obviously my self-preservation techniques are working?  I can't help but wonder, if and when "the one" shows up at the airport to take me home, whether he'll have room to get in the car after I have filled it with all my "baggage".

Proverbs 4:23 says, "...guard your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

I think God knows our nature and even our tendency to self-preserve.  In fact, he even warns us not to be so open with our hearts. I'm almost certain that this warning was written to heighten our awareness of the fact that as Christians, we can and sometimes will, get hurt. People aren't perfect and if we've never been hurt then we've probably never truly loved anyone. However, I think it is important that we don't carry all that "baggage" along on our journey through this life.  Ask yourself, "Am I making someone carry excess baggage to be with me?"

Let's face it, today when we fly we pay for everything, even our carry on. Therefore, it is safe to say that if your paying for it, you might as well make sure its something your going to need.