Travel Light

One of my favorite travel accessories is the inflatable travel pillow. It helps me get a good shut-eye. It supports my neck in the awkward positions of seat-sleeping. I have been to many long trips that end up with a neck sore. So, this pillow is really a good investment on my part.

I recall a passage from Luke about instructions for the missionaries to be sent off. 

Luke 9:3  He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.

Now during those times, there was even no travel pillow to speak of! More shockingly, even the basic and logical travel necessities were not allowed on this mission. The missionaries had to depend on "living off the land" and trusting in God's providence through those who will welcome them. 

On this, I reflect 3 things:

1. Travel light, God provides

Life is a one big mission journey. When we carry a lot of baggages, we won't be able to fulfill what we were meant to do. Our tendency is to focus more on our attachments instead of God's supplements. When we are still attached to the baggages of anger, unforgiveness, materialism, fear, and many others -- we cannot move forward in life. 

The Lord provides, provided that we leave room for His blessings, leaving the unecessary weight of sin. The lighter we travel, the heavier the blessings.

2. Offer your discomforts to God

Along our life's journey, there will always be "bumpy roads" and "uncomfortable seats".  Instead of complaining, let us make an offering of sacrifice for the Lord. Our pains can be lifted us prayers for the salvation of souls in purgatory. 

3. Mission is total surrender

When all that you possess in this world is gone, yet you have God -- you are rich! Just like the man who finally found the pearl of great price and sold all he possessed to acquire it. In Luke, when the missionaries were sent off, they knew that they had everything -- God. If we embark on a mission and fail to "bring" God, then we have brought nothing. We surrender our lives to God, so that God can finally lead us to the awesome life that He prepared.

In our pilgrim life on earth, let us start to detach from worldly pleasures and attach ourselves to the heavenly delights of a life of mission.