Sometimes stuff just piles up inside me. I don’t know about you, but physical exercise, prayer and journaling help me, but sometimes even that’s not enough. My mind and heart get overloaded a lot. Concerns for friends, family, church members, and the world at large can be weighty. Add in our jobs, the economy, our favorite ball team, personal finances, and relational struggles, and pretty soon your heart is going to charge you for extra baggage. Like an airline you can only carry so much extra baggage.
A good friend often reminds me that we can’t tote around the baggage of others and our own. He’s quick to point out that each of us has enough trouble carrying around our own baggage. And ultimately we decide what we put it in our personal wagon, and if we’re going to let it hold us back from living freely. My friend’s point is a simple one: We are responsible for our own stuff and how we deal with it.
Lot’s of folks have overloaded wagons. Heck, I spend most of my time helping people unload their wagon’s, and I have to work really hard to make sure I don’t just pile it in my own Red Flyer! I like the red wagon theology. But it has occurred to me that it’s not always that simple or easy to unload junk as soon as someone else dumps it. It takes time to process, think, reflect, pray, and act. I really admire people who are wired in a way that it appears absolutely nothing bothers them. That’s a gift. However, it’s very rare because that stuff has to go somewhere. There are only three responses to extra baggage: you repress, suppress or process. I guess it’s just that some are better at processing so they always appear to be in control, or unaffected by it.
A friend of mine is like that. He plays it all close to the vest, never lets down his guard, no risks, no vulnerability. For the longest time I was so impressed by his ability to not let this stuff get to him. And yet I now know it’s backed up into his throat and he’s now paying the price. He’s a great guy, smart, compassionate and a strong leader. Not a light weight if you get my point. Better people than me are helping him unload his wagon and I’m glad because he’s a real keeper in my book. This isn’t about my friend so let’s move on.
I would never put any of us in the league of Jesus, but I think heavy hearts give us just a very slight appreciation for how he must have felt all those times in Scripture it references that he had “compassion on them,” or that he was moved. We need to take a cue from our leader during these times and get further in the Word and spend more time with the Father. Will it make all of the stuff go away? Probably not, but it gives us a different perspective and we know we’re not alone. 1 Peter 5:7 would be a good place to start: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Now that’s a great place to begin unloading the wagon!
3 comments:
Good fodder for Men's Retreat weekend!
Interesting topic!
Maybe I'm getting off subject, but reading this post made me think...
There are those of us with the tendency to be scavangers of others' little-red-wagon-overflow. For me, it was that I didn't want to deal with my own junk. So I kept piling stuff on my wagon - checking every so often to see if I needed to rearrange some things. I guess I thought I could fake the "she's got it all together" persona by "helping" others deal with their problems. Not only did focusing on others allow me to avoid the garbage piling up in my own wagon, but presented another problem - I became an enabler of others who were more than happy to let someone else deal with their trash. There's a fancy term for it - codependency. Whatever you want to call it - it's bad for me and bad for them. I'm slowly learning that compassion and love for others does not necessarily mean perpetual litter patrol! Yes, I'll often find myself with a heavy heart, wanting so badly to fix a situation. I must remind myself that I am NOT God. I must "let go and let God." What a relief!!
If you find yourself in this position, know that there is hope! You don't have to live bound-up like that. There is freedom in Christ! Recovery doesn't happen over night, so we must remember to cut ourselves some slack.
I'll stop here with lyrics from Natalie Grant's "I Will Not Be Moved"... "I will make mistakes, I will face heartache, but I will not be moved."
Love in Christ,
Peggy
Peggy,
Great points. I can see where those with codependent issues would gladly pile on more to their wagon. My issue here is more about encouraging folks to drop the facade (as you said: "she's got it all together")and acknowledge the "elephant in the room". Also for those who have heavier wagons simply due to life junk that is inevitable, to begin to recognize it and to seek balance. We'll never empty our wagons while on earth, I don't think God expects us too either. But, we can learn to process it better and be much more selective about what goes in, how long it stays, etc. Thanks for sharing some great insight!
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