Going On A Journey

This summer, in the middle of July, I am planning to go on a trip to a place I've always wanted to go to, Arizona.  I am very excited about the trip and I am already planning what I am going to bring along with me.  I am going to pack my goose down jacket, a heavy sweater, a pair of gloves, a warm hat with fur ear flaps, snow boots, and of course a bunch of those chemical hand warming packs. I am going to need my bowling ball, a dozen dead batteries, a paper cup with a hole in the bottom of it and a fistful of pens that don't write.  With all of these things, I will be ready for my trip. I can hardly wait to go! What do you mean that the stuff I am going to take is not appropriate or useful for the journey? Oh, I know it is hot in Arizona in July but these are my favorite things, the things I feel comfortable with, I want to take them all with me!  

Okay, so I am not really going to Arizona this July and I certainly would not be taking that ridiculous list of things with me if I were going there in one of the hottest months of the year. The point I am trying to make is that very often when it comes to packing for our heavenly journey, we pack the wrong things. 

Our life is a journey from the day of our birth to the day of our death.  Along the way, we pick up things to sustain us on the journey.  Some of the things we choose to carry are things that will help us while other things will most definitely hinder us.  Most of us plan more carefully for our retirement, an event that may last twenty years or so but we fail to plan carefully for our journey to heaven which will last forever.  

The problem all of us face is how to determine what to bring with us.  First of all, we have to consider the amount of luggage space we will have.  For the sake of argument, I quantify that space as the size of your heart. So, immediately we have a problem.  That is not a whole lot of space so we will have to fill it carefully.  If we place prejudice in our heart, there will be no room for love.  If we attempt to place a bit of retribution in, the forgiveness won't fit. Stuff in some anger and the joy will have to be left out for want of room.  You see where this is going I assume. 

Sometimes, the secular world can give us a hint about the eternal world.  The song The Gambler by Kenny Rogers is an example of this.  In the song, the gambler states, "Every gambler knows, that the secret to surviving is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep."  This is true for us in the spiritual realm and is probably more important for us because a gambler is vying for something that will soon crumble into dust.  We, on the other hand, are looking for things that will be useful for the journey to our eternal destination. 

We need to be very selective in what we pack. The things we put in our suitcase should be able to pass one test.  Does the item help or hinder us in following the instructions of Jesus "to love one another as I loved you?"  The wonderful thing about our spiritual suitcase is that it will expand to accommodate all of the things that will help us.  So, this week, as you go through the mundane tasks of your life, tend to your packing for your eternal journey by placing a lot of joy, peace, and love into your suitcase by looking for ways to serve others even in the smallest of ways.  Mother Teresa gives us a hint on how to do this; Do small things with great love.