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!


One of the struggles with "stuff" is that we have or make available sufficient space for everything to fit. In Kansas that was called a basement. I have learned that people in Tampa call basements…Swimming pools! There simply is not enough room for all the stuff! Cathy and I have worked diligently, donating books and clothing, tools and furniture because we really don’t need it and we hope that others who do will be blessed with the gift.

How about you? Your home, garage, closet crammed to overflowing? How about your life? Busy beyond recognition? Not enough time for you, your spouse, or kids, let alone friends? How about projects or hobbies?

Often our physical lives are metaphors of our personal lives. If we are filled with "stuff" how can we have room for what really matters?

It is officially Spring--one week old to be exact. With spring comes the theme of renewal, awakening and new life. Perhaps part of this might be dealing with the excess baggage, the extra stuff and making room in your house, closets, your calendar and appointment book, your heart and spirit for what is really of value.

In a few moments you will need to make room for the patient, their family, and the questions and fear that accompany them. Don’t try to cram them in to an already "stuffed" day…make room for what is important!