One thing these fires may have taught us is what we value in life.  When the evacuation orders come down, each resident must decide what to take and what to leave.  And it's usually about the same:  take important papers, some clothes and items that can't be replaced, and leave all the rest.  And so we leave behind a house and garage full of "stuff" we mostly can do without.  Golf clubs, tools, books, bedding, jewelry, even antiques can be replaced.  But not photo albums, birth certificates or precious mementos of love or relationship.  These we take with us.  They say we should also take presciption meds in the original bottles, but it seems to me those are fairly replaceable.  And so is just about everything we may otherwise value and pay for.  When you have to travel light, you learn a few things about yourself.

          We're just past our Second Annual Garage Sale, and I want to give special thanks to those who donated items and the hard working group of ladies who sorted, labelled and set up, as well as those who were there for the sale.  Garage Sales are an American phenomenon, another way that God can help us lighten our load as we travel.  It's also great fellowship, right ladies?

          Carol and I like to travel light, but I don't see that in many fellow travellers.  When they stop at the baggage terminal it looks like the Graebel Van Lines just dropped off a truckload.  And sometimes when we pick up loved ones at DIA, it seems they've brought along enough for a few months instead of a few days.

          But then haven't we all been known to pick up a few bags along the way?  Odds are, you did this just this morning.  Somewhere between the first step on the floor and the last stop out the door you grabbed some luggage.  You stepped over to the baggage carousel and loaded up.  You don't remember doing so?  That's because you did it without thinking, and that's because your carousel wasn't the one at the airport, but the one in the mind.  And the bags we grabbed weren't made of leather, but of our burdens.

          They come to us in a suitcase of guilt, a bag of discontent and a sack of grief.  You drape a duffel bag of weariness over one shoulder and a hanging bag of anger over the other.  Add a backpack of doubt, an overnight case of loneliness and a trunkful of fear, and pretty soon you're pulling more stuff than a skycap.  Lugging luggage around all day is exhausting.

          God's Word today is telling us, "Set that stuff down!  You're carrying burdens you don't need to bear.  Travel light!"  Jesus said it in more familiar words, "Come to me, all of you who are weary of carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take up my yoke, because it's a lot lighter and easier than the loads you strap on yourselves." (Matthew 11:28ff)   In other words, travel light!

          (By the way, for all you English majors, this is not incorrect grammar.  While it may seem more correct to say, "Travel lightly," that refers to how one walks, like skipping along the path instead of plodding.  "Travel light" means don't haul around what you don't need.  It's the use of an adjective, not an adverb.  Now to some, this is an important distinction, while most would probably say, "Aw lighten up!  Language is what you make it."  But, you see, I agree with the linguists - either use it rightly or don't use it at all.  No sense in murdering a language as nice as American English.  But, then, I digress...)

          The point is, if we let Him, God will lighten our loads.  He will help us set down the "luggage of life," as Max Lucado calls it.  First thing, however, is that we have to realize what we're carrying.  Travelling light means trusting God with the burdens we were never intended to bear.  Do you have some luggage of your own, some things you don't need to carry?

          Consider what excess baggage can do to our relationships.  A bride and groom are getting married.  The groom enters the church loaded with luggage, a bag hanging from each arm, one attached to his waist and others dragging from his legs.  The bags are labelled guilt, anger, arrogance and insecurity.  This guy is loaded.  He stands at the altar thinking, "At last -- here comes a woman who will help me carry all my burdens."  About that time the bride enters, beautiful in her gown, but also covered with the luggage of life.  Her bags are labelled prejudice, loneliness, disappointment and fear.  And what is she thinking?  "Just a few more minutes and I've got me a man!  No more counselors, no more singles Bible studies or group sessions.  So long worry - my guy's going to fix me!"  They stand at the altar, lost in a mountain of luggage, smiling, barely able to kiss each other when it's over because of all the stuff that's already in the way.

          For the sake of those we love, God wants us to set down our luggage.  He wants us to travel light, to shed ourselves of all that holds us back in loving our God or loving each other.  He wants us to get rid of the anger and resentment that separate us, the habits that strangle us, and the raging materialism that suffocates us.  For the sake of Jesus, as well as for the sake of those who love us, God wants us to get rid of the covetous attitudes that blind us to what's really good and needful in life.  In other words, travel light!

          Travelling light means trusting God with the burdens we were never intended to bear.  Our Lord said it so plainly, "The pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well."  Seek a good relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and you'll learn to travel light.

          One rare day this spring I decided to go for a long walk.  It would do me good, I thought.  Put a few miles under my belt and I'll be fit in no time at all, so I got ready to go.  First, I couldn't decide what to wear.  The sun was out but the wind was chilly:  will it be a jacket or a sweatshirt?  Couldn't decide so I wore both.  I grabbed my Walkman but couldn't decide which tape to bring:  stories or music?  So I took both.  Needing to stay in touch, I put my cell phone in a pocket.  As a precaution against thirst, I took a water bottle, one of the big ones, and I grabbed a few dollars in case I found a coffee shop.  A cap, gloves and pair of sweat pants later, I was on my way, and I looked more like a pack mule than a walker!  Pockets were bulging and within half a mile I was sweating and peeling off the jacket and hanging it in a tree to pick up when I came back.  Then I found my Walkman's batteries were dead, so I was carrying more useless pounds.  I walked back and left it with the jacket.  But then I had to hide it, lest someone else walk off with that old cotton jacket and used Walkman with dead batteries.  I'm not sure I ever got in the walk that I'd planned.  I was too busy loading and unloading all my precious luggage of life.

          What's true in walking is true in life.  We need to travel light.  God has a great race for each of us to run.  Under His guidance we'll go where we've never been and serve Him in ways we've never dreamed of.  But we have to drop off some stuff, to lighten our loads.  How can we share God's grace if we're loaded with guilt?  How can we offer comfort to others if we're carrying a bag of cynicism?  How can we lift someone else's load if our arms are always full of our own stuff?  Junk gets in the way of joy and possessions block out any peace.

          Friends, for the sake of those you love, travel light!  For the sake of the God who loves you, travel light.  For the sake of your own joy in life, travel light.  There are certain weights in life that you and I must carry, ones we cannot avoid.  And when they become too heavy, we must find someone else to share them.  But there are certain bags that we simply should not carry.

          When an eager five year-old grabs a big suitcase off the airport carousel, what will his father say?  "Take it on out to the car, boy!"  No, he'll gently say, "Set that one down, child.  You take this small one, but that big one is for me."  That's the voice of God, you know, wanting to carry our burdens.  What do you say we take God up on His offer?  We just might find ourselves travelling a whole lot lighter.

          I suspect some of you are thinking, "Great idea, but how do you do this?  How can I put those things down?  Get specific, preacher!"  I hope to do that during the next few weeks.  Next Sunday I want to share a little about giving thanks as a way to travelling light.  And later on we'll talk about prayer as another excellent way, as well as serving others.  God's men have promised us, "Cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)   They saw it happen in their lives and we can see it in ours too.  God always makes good on His promises.

          Our Lord Jesus can carry our loads.  When He ascended the steps of Calvary, He was carrying more than a cross loaded on a bone-weary body -- it was the weight of the sins of the world.  He died there, crushed under the weight of every bit of luggage we needlessly carry through life.  If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders, then He can carry us too - through earthly life and into eternal life.  His love gave Him the strength and His mercy gave Him the stamina.  His death shows He is truly human, and His resurrection shows He is truly God.

          All He did is for our benefit.  And it's all complete!  He said it Himself:  "It is finished!"  There's no need to carry useless burdens any longer -- He's done all that.  No need for guilt because of old things in the past.  No need for resentment -- it will solve nothing.  And besides, God will settle all the scores - He will repay all the old debts.  No need for fear of danger because He's by our side.  Lighten up!  God's in charge here.  So may He give us courage and faith to travel light!  Amen

Copyright © 2002 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.