Removing What You Weren't Meant to Carry

Last week, during the FOCUS Retreat, the overarching theme was detachment. This topic was, of course, unplanned, but God always has a way of weaving together a message that seems to be weighing on the women attending.

My current challenge with detachment is letting go of burdens that aren't mine to carry. Maybe you can relate.

Think of a new purse. Beautiful on the outside, yet over time, the purse becomes heavy and messy because we've added more than what we need inside. All the while, presenting to others as if we have it altogether. 

We only need the essentials: things like keys, a wallet, identification, a small notebook, and even tissues.

However, most times our purses become overloaded with "just in case" items or "what if "scenarios, symbolic of emotional baggage, overthinking, or people-pleasing tendencies. Non-essential things like;

• Extra makeup 
• Other people's items
• Receipts, papers
• Old mementos

As you take inventory of what's weighing down your purse — and your spirit — consider what God might be inviting you to let go of… and what He's offering you in return:

• Let go of the extra makeup- to keep up appearances or to compare yourself to others.
• ➤ Receive confidence in Christ, who calls you enough — without needing to add more.
• Let go of the items that don't belong to you — other people's obligations, and expectations that were never yours to carry.
• ➤ Receive healthy boundaries, and the peace that comes from knowing what's yours to hold and what belongs to God.
• Let go of the crumpled receipts and papers — the mental clutter, the overthinking, the running to-do list that never rests.
• ➤ Receive peace of mind and the ability to be fully present in the moment, trusting that not everything needs to be solved right now.
• Let go of the old mementos — the reminders of who you used to be, or what didn't work out.
• ➤ Receive healing and hope, and the freedom to look forward without being anchored to the past.

I also encourage you this week to look at the essentials in a different light.

• Keys (as boundaries)
• Wallet (responsible for your decisions)
• ID (as self-awareness; helping you remember who and whose you are)
• A Notebook (to write and remind yourself of the things that matter most)
• Tissues (to keep you prepared, not paranoid or anxious)

And ask yourself, "What am I carrying that God never asked me to pick up?"

Let your purse, like your life, reflect what is intentional and light, because you and I were never meant to carry it all.

 ❤️Amy