No Room at the Inn

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
—Heb 12:1

Airlines charge you for them. Therapists help you deal with them. Relationships or work can often suffer because you have too much of them. Homes are frequently overflowing into storage lockers because of them.

What is it? Excess baggage!

What strikes me as odd is that we hang onto it with zeal, paying up to $125 for the privilege of flying that third bag of stuff! Or, as Cathy and I experienced recently in our move to Tampa from Kansas, we had boxes, sealed and safely stored that had been packaged up in Ohio 11 years ago when we moved to Washington, D.C., and never opened but diligently moved to Tampa!

Making it new!

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
—Lamentations 3:22-23

It was a wonderful gift — a crescent moon on a ceramic base that when wound up played "When You Wish Upon a Star" — the delight and treasure of Martha, then two years old. Every night she’d wind it up and go to sleep listening to the familiar and comforting tune.

Then the horrible happened: the ceramic moon hit the hardwood floor and we had star dust.

Crying as she gathered the pieces, she ran to find me sobbing, "Daddy can you make it new again…can you fix Mr. Moon?"

When the Earth Gives Way and the Seas Overwhelm

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way.
—Psalms 46:2

When tragedy strikes, the first thought of caring people is; “How can I help?”

The first act of help is often a prayer: “Lord help them, be not far from them, Lord help me to help them somehow, someway.”

The world has responded in remarkable fashion, despite the challenges all face. When trouble strikes others, our woes and our problems take a back seat to their critical needs. We gladly set self aside to support those struggling with such travesty.

The Fan Cam

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.
—Proverbs 15:30

It catches you totally by surprise and when it does, smiles, cheers, grins, joy spontaneously erupt! Children or grandparents, tired parents, or weary tourists all react the same when the "Fan Cam" catches them.

Whoever developed this idea of focusing on individuals in the midst of a crowd brilliantly highlights the innate need each of us have to be recognized.

We took our Canadian brother and sister-in-law to see the Montreal Canadiens play the Tampa Bay Lightning at the St. Pete Times Forum. There were about 18,000 fans, a lot of them travelers from Canada. A gathering of friendly strangers that was transformed by the "Fan Cam" into what felt like a family reunion!