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Thursday Thoughts

October 5, 2023

Have you ever paid attention to what people carry with them? When I was a little girl, the ladies would carry purses that coordinated with their outfits and shoes. If it was Sunday, they wore gloves and a hat. My Dad always carried his trusty pocket knife and a tiny crescent wrench in his pocket. My Mother, to this day, carries almost anything anyone would ever need in her purse. Why she never developed shoulder problems I will never know. When I was in elementary school I had a book bag that was carried like a briefcase. My favorite one was burgundy and black striped. There were no such things as backpacks unless you were a distance hiker. Today I see cross-body bags, bags the size of small luggage, and even man bags. Students carry backpacks that look like they out-weigh the child. There are bags attached to the front of walkers and there are fanny packs that vacationers particularly like to wear. Other things that I see people carrying around today are water bottles, a thermal cup, and a phone. If the phone isn't in someone's hand, it is in a pocket or a purse.

What we physically carry might change according to the generation. I wonder what the next generation will carry. But there are some things we carry around that never change no matter the era. Some of the things we might carry around are guilt, hurt, or resentment. These really will weigh a body down. They cause loss of sleep, loss of appetite, loss of self-worth, and loss of enthusiasm for living. There is a remedy for getting rid of those emotions. In Romans 8:1-2 we read that we don't have to lug around those burdens because, "With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being here for us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death."

We all know the emotion of grief and the toll it takes on the heart and body as we carry it around. Psalm 34:18a, "If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there." We don't have to carry that weight around by ourselves. Yes, it still hurts, but we know whatever losses we experience now are only temporary. Those that love the Lord will be together again one glad day.

There are so many other feelings that folks pull around with them like pulling cinder blocks in a wagon: Doubt, fear, jealousy, anger, and so many others. The weight in the wagon slows us down and makes us tired. We can't get very far in our faith walk if we are pulling such weight. "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7.

There are other things we carry around that make our lives so much lighter and brighter and we do the same for all we come in contact with. Joy, hope, a sweet spirit, compassion, and love are all emotions that point to the love of Christ. For without knowing who our Savior is and what he has done for us, we couldn't know the fullness of the good things he has given us to share. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

Think about what you carry around. Is your phone involved? Is your hand always gripping a water bottle or coffee cup? Are there things that are weighing your soul down? Wouldn't it be wonderful to get rid of that heavy burden and exchange it for something light and buoyant? We can do it! Our heavyweight can be left at the foot of the cross. It is so much easier to take on peace, and love and leave the heavy stuff behind.

Blessings,

Becky

Bridgewater UMC 

Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!  

219 N Main Street

Bridgewater, VA 22812

Call Us : +1 (540) 828-0890

Email Us : adminasst@bridgewaterumc.com

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