Traveling Light

The title... There's this song that I've loved for a long time called "Traveling Light." It's by Joel Hanson and Sara Groves and it's a really great song about laying our burdens down and...wait for iiiiiit...traveling light. If you check out the link, try to ignore the semi (very) cheesy video and listen to the words.

There's one explanation of the title. Also...

I heard a sermon about a year ago from Dr. David Platt (The Church at Brook Hills, Birmingham, AL) and he taught from Matthew 11:28-30 which says this:

Come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

I had heard this passage before but the way that Dr. Platt explained it really changed my thinking about how I walk through this life. The basic gist of it was that when farmers put oxen in a yoke, they usually put a strong ox with a weak ox so that the stronger one can guide the weaker one and show him how it's done. When we enter into this yoke with Christ, He is obviously the stronger of the two of us and our job is only to relax in the yoke with Him, learn from Him, and let Him direct us and carry the burden. For a long time in my life, I didn't do this. I did a lot of stuff for the Lord, thinking I could somehow encourage Him to bless me more and like me more if I did a lot. What arrogance on my part. This is not how He works at all. Since this revelation, I've tried to live in the truth of that reality and simply relax in the yoke with Him and travel light through this little life.

I'll end with this: Traveling light will be a life-long goal and will hopefully be reflected in a life that seeks to take very little, give a lot away (both things with which I still struggle) and keep life wonderfully simple.

*Just a side-bar here: I did have a blog before this which I used to chronicle two years of unbelievable life in India. If you're ever bored, you can check it out here.*

Reasons...

Everyone has their reasons for blogging, I guess. I'll explain mine here...

First, when Elizabeth Hughes "asks" you to do something, sometimes, it's good to do it. Because I don't like to say "no" to her all of the time (only most of the time), I've decided to humor her on this one. Also, she asked repeatedly and put it on a list. I felt obligated. I guess I could have titled this post "Reason..." because, well, that's the only one I've got.

I've never really felt that I have very much good stuff to say and I have this ridiculous standard that If someone's going to take the time to read it or if I'm going to take the time to write it, it should, at least, be life-changing. Let me go ahead and preemptively apologize. This blog will not be life-changing. It will probably not be day-changing or moment-changing. It will probably just be...and I hope that's enough (for all two of you that read it).