Traveling Light

I recently told my daughter we would be visiting her in the near future. She told me to make sure not to bring too much clothing. “You can wash your stuff every few days and reuse it–save space,” she said. I agreed. As we began packing our luggage, we made sure the energy bars went in. We need that energy to function! In went oatmeal cookies too, which along with the fiber in the bars, help you “to go.” Definitely, my wheat germ will be needed to really keep things “flowing,” if you know what I mean! On the other hand, to control things, we packed boxes of Pepto Bismol tablets. Can’t forget my Fiber Force vitamins or the Acidophilus! Not to mention variants of milk digestion pills.
“Almost done,” I thought, but then we remembered Ben-Gay for those aching muscles (just carrying the luggage would be enough), and Vick’s for better sleeping. Afterall, who can’t use luxurious dreams on an island laced with the smell of Eucalyptus plants at your senses that seem so real you’d think you were there? What about my ankle brace or the shin brace in case of pain? So, I threw those in.
Then my wife said, “Now hold your horses, fella” where’s my asthma meds, my Nebulizer, my nasal pump, my high-blood pressure pump, my heart meds?” Where’s the allergy bottle? What about our back-support belts? Huh?? Do we need an arm sling, a neck brace? Gee, thank God we don’t need snoring devices or sleeping masks! Breathing masks for the public seems enough. “Have your shoes?” I asked. “Snooze?” she said. “No, shoes.” Hmm, I wondered, do we need hearing aids too? “Oh, yeah,” she said. Got to add some sneakers, slippers, caps, and sweaters. Can’t forget toys and clothing for the grandkids. “Are we set? Are we covered?!” my wife asked. Hmm, does she mean with Depends? I thought. I think our daughter will have nothing to worry about-we won’t have a lot of clothing! “For sure,” I said. “For sure,” said my wife.
God is very smart when it comes to packing and traveling! Were He to tell us the day and time of His arrival to take us home via the rapture of the saints, we’d spend our lifetime accumulating and packing “essentials” for our journey. We would be updating certain items to reflect the times or our tastes. Instead, we’ll be called home unannounced.
A lady once wrote Ann Landers about that. She wanted to request back from her ex-daughter in-law gifted items such as jewelry and fine china. She wanted to know which would have more value in heaven…She was reminded of Timothy’s words: “For we brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out of it” (1Timothy 6:8). No, you can’t attach a U-Haul to a hearse, not even a fanny-pack to your waist. None of the things we packed will be needed in heaven! Not only will God provide free one-way transportation, but He’ll also provide clothing, lodging, food, and entertainment! So, how will we know when He returns? We’ll need to be ever-ready watching the signs of the times (Matthew 16:3). We also need to “Watch and pray” (Mark 13:33). I’m ready to enjoy my upcoming vacation! Let me just pack my laptop, my camera, my telescope, the camping gear…
God Bless!
Enjoy!
Sam