Lighten Up

by Tim Howard

It’s only January 8, 2011 and I have already lost approximately 25 pounds! Some of you might be wondering how I did it in such a short time. Maybe I should consider being on that T.V. show Biggest Loser…

The truth is I didn’t lose physical weight but emotional poundage. It happened when I decided not to carry some of the hurt, pain, shame and disappointments of the past into the future. I left some of my emotional baggage behind!

A man by the name of Dick led a group of 12 men into Africa on a mid-life adventure. They traveled 7000 miles on this expedition to come face to face with Africa and themselves. As leader of the trip, Dick purchased an ultra-light backpack that was designed for maximum cargo-carrying efficiency. It was packed with eating utensils, cutting devices, digging tools, direction finders, various garments in various sizes for various functions. It had medical supplies, remedies and cures. Little bottles inside little bottles inside little bottles… You name it and he had it. When they came to Magaduru, a small Maasai village they were met by a tall lean Maasai man who stood proudly with nothing more than a loincloth, a spear and a stick used for cattle tending. As they talked together, this man became very intrigued with the large, awkward and packed to the brim backpack. He proceeded to ask a very simple question but with great intensity:

Does all this stuff make you happy?”

All of us have material stuff but we also have emotional baggage, which is a part of our personal history. Like this Maasai man, we periodically need to ask ourselves a few questions. Does all this stuff help me become a better person or is it hindering me? Do I really need this stuff or should I leave it behind? As I entered 2011, one week ago, I decided to unpack and repack my bags. The result? A much lighter load!

Unpacking simply means taking a long, hard look at what we’re carrying and why. Seeing if our possessions, responsibilities and relationships are still helping us move forward or if they are dragging us down. Repacking then is the ongoing activity of reevaluation and reinvention. Rearranging our priorities, reframing our vision of life and recovering a new sense of being alive.

The Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung talked about the morning, afternoon and evening of a person’s life. He said: “ we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning - for what was great in the morning will be little at evening and what in the morning was true will at evening have become a lie.”

Maybe this is a time for you to do some house cleaning. Maybe it’s time for you to take a hard look at what you are carrying and why. Maybe you need to unpack and repack your bags as well. If you do this, you can go through 2011 seeing life from the lighter side.

I love the invitation Jesus gives to each of us in Matthew 11:28-30:

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." The Message.

In other words: Lighten up!