Pastor Tricia's Ramblings

Have you ever taken a trip and found yourself in a familiar dilemma? After visiting fascinating places and shopping for friends and family, you start packing up only to realize there’s no room left in your suitcase for all your new treasures. As funny as it might sound now, trying to make everything fit can turn into a frustrating experience. You don’t have the space for what you truly need or desire.
Just like our suitcases, our lives can become heavy with burdens that crowd out the blessings and opportunities God wants to bring into our present. Sometimes, we carry around emotional baggage, weighed down by experiences from our past that hinder our ability to move forward.

What’s Weighing You Down?

Take a moment to reflect: what do you need to take out of your suitcase? Is there a past situation that stops you from moving ahead? Are you holding onto bitterness and unforgiveness? Perhaps it’s fear that freezes you or painful words from your past that linger in your mind. These burdens can fill our hearts and minds, leaving little space for God’s promises.
The Bible reminds us to let go of what doesn’t belong to us. In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul declares, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” We are called to press on, not to carry the heavy baggage of yesterday into our tomorrow.
Additionally, 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” This is a powerful reminder that as children of God, we are not defined by our past but are renewed in Christ.

Making Room for the New

As we step into 2025, it’s time to unpack the emotional suitcases we’ve been dragging with us. What are the things from 2024 and before that need to be left behind? Perhaps it’s time to focus on living in the now instead of dwelling on the past.
To walk in God’s abundant blessings, we must intentionally create space to receive them. It’s not an easy path, but God has a better plan for each of us. We have the power to choose how we respond to our circumstances. We can choose to live by faith rather than fear. We can choose to forgive and release ourselves from the weights that bind.
Consider refilling your spiritual suitcase with love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, forgiveness, and hopeful dreams of what is yet to come. Galatians 5:22-23 teaches us about the fruit of the Spirit, reminding us what we should strive to carry in our hearts and lives.

A Call to Action

Take a little time today to reflect. Ask yourself: what are three things you need to unpack from your suitcase before moving into 2025? What can you leave behind to make room for what God is doing in your life right now?
The journey ahead is filled with endless possibilities, opportunities, and the love of God waiting to be poured into your life. Let’s embark on this new year with hearts unburdened and ready to embrace all that God has planned for us.