U is for Underwear ~ by Brenda J. Wood

I heard about a wonderful travel tip.  Pack your oldest underwear. (It makes sense, why buy new clothes for people you will never see again?) 

Then when you change, throw the dirty things into the hotel waste basket. Your suitcase gets lighter every day! …

I just happened to be preparing for a trip to Israel! Yes, I did! All those old clothes with faded colour and weak elastic went into my bag.

I did have some doubts. I got the buts. You know, the buts! 

BUT what would people think?

BUT was it a Christian thing to do?  

Then I read this Bible verse: 

Do not cast me off in the time of my old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent!  (Psalm 71:9)

Fortunately, closer study revealed that the Psalmist was not speaking about my old clothes. 

I will admit the first outfit was a little painful. Then I began to reason. I don’t know anyone In Israel. I will be in a new hotel tomorrow. Only the chambermaid and I will ever know. 

What kind of chambermaid roots through the garbage? If she snoops, it serves her right! And besides, she’ll think they belong to my roommate!! 

It was a very freeing experience! 

I was able to get rid of stuff I no longer needed; stuff that weighed me down. 

The Bible says, Let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet (like old clothes)—and trip us up (Hebrews 12:1 LB)   

Friends, may I ask what holds us back?  

We write pages of beautiful descriptions of wildflowers, sky and people, but without a plot. Folks have to be doing something, going somewhere, speaking something. 

Frankly, I skip most of that if it is more than a few lines long. It is sweet but it interrupts the action.

After all the gunfighter is not admiring the flowers in the store window when he is getting ready to meet his match.

Or take a love scene. The perfume, the outfits (or not) don’t move the folks to that first embrace.

The story is the thing. I could have described my underwear to the last frill but you were all waiting for the action. (Will she or won’t she follow through?)

Take a good look. What are you dragging into your stories?

Brenda J. Wood has authored more than fifty books. She is a seasoned motivational speaker, who declares the Word of God with wisdom, humour, and common sense.