Needless baggage

We all carry it.  Needless baggage . . . transgressions from our past to which we cling. Whether we've misbehaved or on the receiving end of some injustice, we hang on to the hurt without giving or receiving forgiveness.  In the Gospel today (Mt 6:7-15), Jesus teaches His disciples (and us) a valuable lesson on the importance of letting go of the baggage:

"If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."

Pretty powerful words but very hard to do, right?  Things happen.  People screw up. Mistakes are made.  We are only human.  But, we can heed the words of Jesus above by seeing with His eyes, not our worldly eyes.

In Anne a lay apostle's book, Climbing the Mountain, she characterizes how the enemy obstructs our view:

“Compare the difference between working with Christ and working with the enemy. The enemy will tell us that it is not fair that we should have to clean our kitchens. He will sow seeds of discontent and bitterness. He will remind us of past hurts and try to reopen wounds that should be long healed. The enemy will show us the flaws in our lives and if we turn on the television, the enemy will show us how other souls are vacationing in small bathing suits, while we are covering stretch marks and sweeping floors again. The enemy will complain about our little ones and our husbands or wives, if we are lucky enough to live in an intact sacramental union that is not abusive. The devil will say that the families we serve do not appreciate us and on any given day this may be true. But we are walking with Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ appreciates us. It is important to walk with Christ in our day if only to reject the enemy. Jesus sees our courage as we accept the cross that is ours and carry it with Him. He sends additional courage when necessary and lets us cry with Him when we need to cry. He has all the time in the world and He cares for each one of us as though we were His only friend. He puts love in our hearts and courage in our souls. Love of Jesus puts us in His presence in everything and we live differently in His presence.”

Today, let's look at those around us, especially our loved ones, with the eyes of Christ. Pray for them. And, know Jesus will give us strength and courage to let go of needless baggage. We may only be able to let go one piece at a time, but if our eyes are on Jesus, we are headed in the right direction!

Thank you, Lord, for teaching me how to discard the habit of holding grudges.  With You, anything is possible!

God bless,

Bonnie