Overload!

Recently I have been having some problems with my cell phone, everything from becoming searing hot in my hand to running out of power in only an hour.  After ignoring the alerts for some time, I visited the Verizon store, figuring that this phone was just wired with planned obsolescence in mind.  I almost expected to see an expiration date stamped inside, followed by the phrase: “time to buy a new phone.”

After toying around with my phone for about fifteen minutes, the technician finally stated that I probably just needed to delete some of the data on the phone.  “When was the last time you cleared out your texts?” he asked.  “These phones have limited storage capacity.  Clear out your messages, and it will be ok again.” 

I left the store, frustrated that the technician had not just waved a magic wand and made it better.  I wanted the problem resolved, but not at the point of personal repentance, so to speak.  Humbled, I reluctantly checked my texts.  Well, 470 messages from my oldest daughter since a year ago, including photos, equal numbers of texts from our other daughters, a whopping 786 from a close friend, and well, you get the picture.  I was carrying a lot of dead weight in my phone.  Nice stuff, but totally unnecessary.  Delete, delete, delete.

And when my life seems to go out of control, it is time to think about what I am dragging around that may be nostalgic or nice, but really weighs me down or trips me up like so many shoes left in the middle of the floor.  And then there is always that which is not so warm and fuzzy that I hoard, like unconfessed sin, fear, pride. and lies that I have chosen to believe, things that need forgiveness, and things too heavy for me alone – items that pile up like old catalogs in the corners of my heart, crowd out the good, distract me from what I really need to do.   Have I ignored the alerts and figured that is just how life is?  My soul gets overloaded and knocked off-balance by what I was never meant to carry. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Time to delete, forgive, deal with it, and let it go.  Jesus is the Savior who says, “Let Me carry it.  That is why I came.”

 

Jesus said:

Come to Me, all who labor

    and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

                     Matthew 11.28