Pastor Sheila shared the following with me: “When my airplane flight is over, it’s not really over. You see, there’s that closing chapter of a trip that you get to spend at baggage claim. At my home airport they have these big carousels where suitcases are dumped out and where they circle until their owners claim them. Now, my bags seem to have a knack for waiting until almost all the other bags are out, for some reason. So I just keep watching those suitcases of all shapes and sizes and conditions appear, and waiting for one I like – no, no, no. I mean, one I recognize! Moving on…I happened to notice there’s always “phantom bags” there as well. They just keep circling and circling and circling. And since the luggage carousel is all I really have to look at, the show gets pretty boring, pretty fast! Hours later you’re still saying yep, there goes that SAME BAGGAGE…AGAIN!”
Keep That Story In Mind!
Probably the most curious question Jesus ever asked is found in John 5:3-9. There was a pool where people went out to get their diseases healed and it says, “Here there was a great number of people and they used to lie there, the blind, the lame, the paralyzed, and there was one who had been an invalid for 38 YEARS. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that HE HAD BEEN IN THIS CONDITION FOR A LONG TIME he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’ ‘Well sir,’ the invalid replied, ‘I have no one to help me to get into the pool when the water is stirred.’” That’s when the healing time was. “While I’m trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Get up, pick up your mat and walk.’ At once the man was cured, picked up his mat and he walked.”
Now, this man has been a victim of paralysis for 38 YEARS and yet Jesus asks him, “Do you want to get well?” But why ask this question?
Well, let’s stop for a moment and consider the condition that YOU are in right now. Something that fits the Biblical description that’s given here might read over your current situation the same way: “…In this condition for a long time…” Maybe it’s the pain or the memory of some past hurt or past abuse or past betrayal. It’s haunted you; it’s even held you back for a long time. Or, it could be that you’ve carried feelings of worthlessness for a long time, and they’ve caused you to make some very hurtful choices. It may be some enslaving sin that’s held you down for a long time, but like this man at the healing pool, you’ve been in some way emotionally, or spiritually, or relationally, or mentally paralyzed for a long time. And then along comes Jesus with this strange question – the one that comes before the healing, “…Do you want to get well?…” Or to put it in airport terms, “Are you finally tired of watching the same old baggage go by again and again?”
In a way, those memories and those resentments, those no good feelings, those sins, they are the BAGGAGE in your life and they just keep replaying and replaying and causing more frustration and more damage!
Why does Jesus ask us if we want to get well? BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE’RE AFRAID TO CHANGE!
We’ve gotten used to playing the victim role! We’ve settled into an identity that revolves around that SAME OLD BAGGAGE!
Notice the man didn’t just say “Yes.” He responded with a “nobody cares complaint” A “woe is me” whine. Because he’s gotten used to being the guy with the problem, he was stuck in his victim identity, but Jesus acts miraculously and that man walks away carrying what had been carrying him for 38 years!
And just as Jesus did for him, He wants to do the very same for you! And yes, He’s still got the power to do it! He wants to help you put the pain and paralysis of the past once and for all behind you ONCE AND FOR ALL! To take away the victim card and to replace it with one that says, “More than conquerors through Him who loved us.” He wants to help you make today the day that you wrap up the past and put it in a book called Volume 1, and leave it on the shelf forever! Today is the beginning of Volume 2, one in which you release the hurt through forgiving the hurter (that’s my word…I’m certain “hurter” is not in the dictionary), you release the sin through aggressive repentance, and you release the worthless feelings by living like the masterpiece God created you to be! That all happens when you come to the cross of Jesus and say, “Jesus, I’m Yours. You died to free me from all of this, and today I’m determined to be free!” Today is your day to finally do something DIFFERENT and get rid of that SAME OLD BAGGAGE!
No more standing there watching it go around and around again! You’ve watched it throughout your teens, your twenties, your thirties, your forties, your fifties, and now you’re approaching the 65 mark, a time when you can retire from work, and Yet, you have yet to retire from looking at this same old baggage!
Whatever he did, whatever she said, LET THE BAGGAGE GO! Forget about how many times they’ve under-estimated you and overlooked you! LET THE BAGGAGE GO! Yes they betrayed you, yes they lied on you, yes they deserted you, BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO LET THE BAGGAGE GO! Mama didn’t support you, and dad didn’t understand you, I get it, BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO LET THE BAGGAGE GO! He vowed to love you till death do you part, and then Diane stepped in the picture, and ten years of marriage just went down the drain. Your anger is Justified, BUT FOR YOUR OWN SANITY AND PEACE OF SOUND MIND, LET THE BAGGAGE GO! She took your kids and the court helped her! Your hurt is Justified, BUT FOR YOUR OWN GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP, AND THE REGULATION OF YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE, LET THE BAGGAGE GO! They laid you off, they fired you, they wouldn’t hire you, OK, BUT LET THE BAGGAGE GO! Whatever happened 20 days, 20 weeks, 20 months, or 20 years ago! LET THE BAGGAGE GO!
Think of it this way: Airplanes are taking off and flying to some of the most beautiful places on earth! You have your ticket in hand and all you have to do is leave the carousel and board the plane! But You Can’t! And You Miss Out All Because You Have Become Accustomed to Watching the Same Baggage Go Around and Around! Never Claimed! Never Picked Up! Just Circling Around and Around! Meanwhile, Paris just passed you by, Rome went on the road without you, London left you, Hawaii left you high and dry, and Aruba abandoned you! All Because You Were Watching the Same Old Baggage Go Around In Circles That Has Been Going Around In Circles For The Last 38 YEARS!
People of God, enough is enough! Free Yourself and Free Your Future! Great Things Are Awaiting You As Soon As You Stop Waiting Around the Same Old Baggage Carousel!
In fact, Go Shopping and Buy You A New Set of Luggage! One that No One Has Put Anything Into and Pack It Yourself With Only The Things You Will Need When You Arrive to Your Destined Place In God!
In honesty, YOU may not be tired of looking at YOUR SAME OLD BAGGAGE yet, but remember there are OTHER PEOPLE at the Baggage Carousel who have been Watching Your Baggage Too! And believe it or not, but as much as your girlfriends and sister-girls and your boys and brothers, love you, WE ARE ALL TIRED OF LOOKING AT YOUR SAME OLD BAGGAGE RESURFACE AGAIN AND AGAIN! So if you won’t do it for YOU, at least be kind enough to do it for US! We’ve been sparing your feelings, but girl/boy, truth is: We really don’t want to hear about Hank and Helen, talk about Tony and Tanisha, fight about Frank and Francine, cry over Chris and Christine or leave Larry and Lorraine….AGAIN!
So what she bought the same dress you bought, so what he didn’t help you, support you, feed you, encourage you, pay for you, stay with you, love you etc…LET IT GO! PACK UP AND SHIP IT OUT! YESTERDAY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TOMORROW SO TODAY GET YOURSELF TOGETHER! My brothers and sisters, It’s a New Day, a New Season, and almost a New Year! So buy some New Luggage and Enjoy a New Life!
Now, I know this is gonna sound real harsh but whoever and whatever hurt you, cry you a river, build you a bridge and get over it!
After 38 years of the same old baggage, this is about as sensitive as I intend to get. Tough love is still unconditional love! Listen, it took that man 38 years to get rid of his same old baggage! And not because it couldn’t happen sooner, but because HE DID NOTHING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN SOONER, BUT WAITED FOR OTHERS TO DO IT FOR HIM!
Folks, your Future Is at Stake! Do you really want to spend all of your Present Mad about Your Past?!
Truth is, Behavior like that Distorts Your Perspective and Stops You From Pursuing, Persevering and Possessing Your Promise! Do You Really Want That To Be the Inscription On Your Tombstone?! At the end of your journey do you really want it said that she did nothing because she never got past what was done to her?!
Think about it: Another 2 more years and he would be no better than the Israelites with a 40 year unfruitful journey…and not because of what OTHERS did, but because of their OWN behavior! Yes I said it, stop blaming other folks for your misery!
Even if they caused it! Pay attention, “Caused” it is past tense! Therefore, Whatever he did, she did, they did, IT’S DONE AND OVER WITH, AND YOU NEED TO BE TOO! If you’re still crying, still depressed, still angry, still stuck…IT’S NOT BECAUSE OF THEM….IT’S BECAUSE OF YOU! Listen, Jesus said do YOU want to be well? The man responds with THEY won’t…In other words, WHO CARES WHAT THEY WON’T DO! NOBODY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR HAPPINESS, YOUR PEACE, YOUR JOY, YOUR LIFE…BUT YOU AND JESUS! Stop waiting for them to say I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it, I wish I could take it back, if I had another chance I would.If I could do things all over again…SUCH TALK IS FUTILE! YOU DON’T NEED ANYBODY TO RECTIFY ANYTHING…YOU SIMPLY NEED TO MOVE ON!
So, put on your bikinis and hop YOURSELF in the pool! YOU’VE WASTED ENOUGH TIME ON THEM….FOCUS ON YOU GETTING YOU BETTER…AND GETTING BETTER…MINUS THE BAGGAGE!
Now, I know this sounds real rough, but I’m not telling or teaching you from what I’ve read or studied, but from what I’ve had to learn from experience and apply to my own life! You see, if I was still holding on to what the rapist did in 1988, I would have wasted 3 decades of watching the same old baggage over and over again, instead of enjoying my daughter who was the product of that rape, enjoy life and be smart and successful. A daughter who became a salutatorian in high school; on the dean’s list in college and become a phenomenal paralegal at an awesome law firm! If I allowed myself to get stuck in the ‘why me’ mindset from years of enduring domestic abuse, I would have wasted all the years since where I’ve trained to be a domestic violence counselor to help other women get out, long before I did! If I still cried over every drink I’ve had, I would not be able to be someone else’s sponsor today. If I stayed depressed over the 3 failed suicide attempts in my past, I wouldn’t be so excited that I’ve made it to 47 years of life; married 19 years; raise 6 adult children and love 5 grandchildren! Are you hearing me?
You can’t get stuck in your past if you intend to be productive in your present and fruitful in your future! People of God, don’t live stuck, don’t die stuck!
Here’s something else to consider: People stand around that baggage carousel watching for their baggage because they know what their baggage looks like. You’ve spent enough years looking at your baggage go around and around. Today, claim it. You know it’s yours. And you know what’s in it, because you were responsible for packing it! Everything in that bag is left up to you to claim and unload! Like I said, you packed it, you know what’s in it. Now it’s time to stop making excuses for what’s in there; stop blaming others for what’s in their; stop complaining about what’s in there. Instead, claim it, open it open, and start getting rid of stuff one article at a time! You will not grab your luggage and dump everything out in the nearest garbage. If that were true, it would not have taken 38 YEARS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT COULD’VE TAKEN 38 MINUTES OR 38 SECONDS! It will take you time to unpack and unload. But you have to start somewhere. Acknowledge the hurt, the pain, the choices, the consequences, the mistakes, the deliberate and willful acts of abuse. Take your life in your own hands and finally make yourself personally accountable for getting better!
No more circles, no more cycles, no more generational curses, no more carousels!
Change begins FOR you, WITH you, BY you!
Today is the day you unload all the baggage from your past; from your former church; from your last marriage/relationship/friendship; from your last loss; from old habits and addictions; from family issues; from job issues! All of it has to go, and you are the one who is responsible for getting rid of it!
Listen, it’s time for you to soar, and the only way that will happen is if you lighten the load you’re carrying. Stop allowing the weight of the past to weigh down your wings! There is a destiny waiting for you, but you’ll never arrive until you unpack, unload, and get over all that’s behind you, because IT’S BEHIND YOU! What’s coming is better than what’s been, but you have to embrace that!
Yes, You Have to Participate In Your Own Healing and Deliverance!
Lastly, “Bon Voyage” is a French expression and it means: “Bon” (meaning “Good”) and “Voyage” (meaning “Journey”). It’s used to express farewell and good wishes to a departing traveler! Well saints, today is your day to bid a big “Bon Voyage” to Your Past With All Its Baggage! Wish Your Past Goodbye and You and Your Present Enjoy a “Good Journey” Into a Joy-Filled Future!
TODAY IS YOUR DAY TO FINALLY RELEASE ALL YOUR BAGGAGE!
Carry Luggage Into Your Future as You Soar to Your Destiny; Not the Baggage of the Past That Will Keep Your Flight Too Weighed Down to Take Off!
“If you pick something up, and it feels too heavy, it isn’t meant for you to carry.” (Author Unknown)
“Keeping baggage from the past will leave no room for happiness in the future.” (Wayne L. Misner)
“The mountains that you’re carrying, you were only meant to climb.” (Author Unknown)
“The journey is inevitable, baggage is optional.” (Author Unknown)
“Letting go of the baggage we carry with us, whether emotional, physical, or mental, is absolutely necessary so we can move forward with our own lives. Let it GO!” (Author Unknown)
“We all have baggage, but there comes a time when you realize it’s time to unpack.” (Author Unknown)
“How many of us walk around being weighed down by the baggage of our journey? You can’t possibly embrace that new relationship, that new companion, that new career, that new friendship, or that new life you want while you’re still holding on to the baggage of the last one. Let Go! And allow yourself to embrace what is waiting for you right at your feet.” (Dr. Steve Maraboli)
“Excess baggage is a symptom of something we are missing on the inside – a fear that we won’t be accepted for what we are, as if ourselves are not enough. We bring too much of our past experience, the clutter of our emotions. These things get in the way and keep us from getting close to others. Then we are left with the task of having to find someone else to carry it, whether it is our luggage or our loneliness.” (Mary Morris)
“You can check your emotional baggage at the curb and aspire to become the gentle warrior or you can carry it on and continue to be the wounded soul.” (David Rappo)
“Don’t let the baggage of your past failures, affect your identity or self-esteem. You are NOT what you did, or how you acted previously. You’re the author of your future; you control your destiny.” (Author Unknown)
“Enjoy life by limiting your emotional baggage to a small carry on.” (Tim Fargo)
“Don’t bring the baggage from your ex-relationship into your next relationship, unless you want it to be a short trip!” (Author Unknown)
“Oh what we could be if we stopped carrying the remains of who we were.” (Tyler Knott Gregson)
“If we throw out the guilt and shame and disappointment we’ve been dragging with us, we will be free to pursue those things that were hidden in the baggage.” (Sharon Hughes)
Much Love, Dr. Shermaine #EnjoyTheRead #BeInspired #BeEncouraged #BeEmpowered #BeChallenged #ShareTheWord
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