Travel has been a big part of my life over the last 20 years. For the majority of those years my family and I have lived several hours from our hometown in northern Indiana. As a result, we’ve spent many a holiday or vacation living out of suitcases and duffel bags. In addition to these family trips, I’ve also gone to several retreats, camps, conferences, and mission trips through my work as a pastor. During my time as a youth pastor, I was generally traveling 5 weeks every summer with 3 to 4 more weeks of traveling throughout the rest of the year. I travel significantly less these days, but it is still a part of what I do.
I have very few complaints about all of this time on the road. I love getting to go to new places, meet new people, and experience new things. One of the few things I don’t love about traveling, however, is packing. One might assume that through all of those years and all of those trips I would be at least efficient, if not an expert, at packing. One would be very, very mistaken. My perpetual fear is finding myself in some remote location without some “essential” item. I mean, heaven help me if one day I wake up only to discover that I don’t have my red shoes to match my red flannel. Or, what would I do if while on vacation someone would invite me to play a song at a local church and I didn’t have a guitar on hand? And, one can never too many hats available! I actually have a separate case I take with me on every trip that carries up to 7 hats.
There are few things that are less fun than walking around a packed airport, lugging around a bag with your body-weight in stuff inside.
I am the KING of heavy packers! The problem with all of this excess baggage is that I’m the CLOWN that has to carry it. There are few things that are less fun than walking around a packed airport, lugging around a bag with your body-weight in stuff inside. The worst part is, the majority of the scenarios I imagine in my mind never materialize, so all the energy and effort expended carrying around all that junk is essentially wasted. I end up suffering for nothing, and I have no one to blame but myself.
I have a former protégé and very good friend in West Virginia named Ryan Haddox. Ryan is one of the most laid-back guys you’ll ever meet. He is one of those guys that brings life into any room he enters. He brings a sense of levity and ease that is contagious. We talk and text on a regular basis and every once in a while, as I am laying out the stresses and struggles in my life, Ryan will stop me and say, “Hey J, don’t borrow trouble. That’s not something you need to carry today.” Then, he’ll laugh and we talk about something else.
When we “borrow trouble,” we often end up bearing a load that we don’t need to carry.
The truth is, just as I load myself down with excess baggage for a trip, I tend to do the same thing with the trials and troubles of daily life. As I try to plan and prepare for all of the various responsibilities of my life, I often over-analyze my current reality in an attempt to predict the future. And, while it is good and proper to prepare for what will come, we ought not do so at the expense of what is. In Matthew 6:34, Jesus says, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” When we “borrow trouble,” we often end up bearing a load that we don’t need to carry. We weigh ourselves down needlessly.
So, as my good friend Ryan says, “Don’t borrow trouble.” Don’t burden yourself with the host of “might-be’s” and “maybe’s” of tomorrow. Put down the excess baggage you’re carrying for what might be. Experience and appreciate today for the gift that it is. Life, and travel, is much better when you lighten the load.
