Friday 27th January: Day 20

Thanks to a little furry visitor in the kitchen I have been cleaning out my kitchen cupboards.  I have found lots of plastic storage boxes and lids.  The only thing is many of the boxes and lids don't match!
I think some of them disappeared a very long time ago but for some reason I have never quite got round to throwing out the odd part which means they have been lurking in the cupboards, fulfilling no udeful purpose ever since - just taking up space.
Our lives too carry a whole lot of things that, like those mis-matched boxes, serve no useful purpose except to take up valuable space.
Old and painful memories.  Past hurts.  Outdated regrets and disappointments, as well as mistakes that have equally passed their sell-by date.
Do we need to hang on to them?
do we really?

Think how much more room in our lives we could have for much more useful and creative things if only we could ditch what is really simply excess baggage....
but it's not easy, is it?


Lord,
we're hoarders.
Perhaps not at home (though some of us are...)
but in our lives.
We hang onto what we should have no more use for...
Unhelpful things that remind us past mistakes
and regrets
disappointments
and hurts inflicted...


We hoard harsh words - until we end up believing them.
we hoard harsh memories - thinking we can't just move on...
but in fact you ask...
you ask us to let them go.
"Give them to me", you say...


Lord,
uncurl my fingers,
loosen my grip on these things
and help me here and now
to give you my excess emotional baggage...


Thank you for carrying everything for me.
Help me to know relief today.
to feel relief.
set free.


and praise be to you
our Glorious,
weight-bearing God!!