Take Nothing With You

I am gathering bits and pieces of lace to make another journal. The light blue and white piece  on the right was one of my favorite blouses. A René Derhy. I bought it when I was still single, and now it has a lot of holes. 

"Take nothing for the journey..." 

Luke 9:3

My family knows that when I travel I make such a fuss about packing. The earlier I start packing, the more I bring. If I am going to a cold place, I think twice, thrice, four times about how many jackets, sweaters, blankets, thermal underwear to bring. I always pack so much, because I bring art materials, or a sewing kit, or both. But I'm not the only one who brings odd stuff on a journey. My brother once brought out some cheese and a cheese grater when we went to Coron. 

When Jesus sent the disciples on a mission to proclaim the good news, He told them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither walking staff nor traveling bag; no bread, no money. No one is to have two coats." The disciples couldn't depend on anything but what they learned from listening to Jesus, and asking Him questions. Obviously, Jesus thought they were ready or He would not have sent them out to be laughed at or ridiculed. They passed the test because verse 6 says they set out from village to village, spreading the good news everywhere and curing diseases. 

We should try Jesus' way sometimes. I don't really mean going off without anything at all, but without the baggage of needing to wait for the right time to talk to others about faith and how God is just waiting for us to approach Him. Wherever we go, there are so many hurting people in the world, needing to hear about our Savior who cares, and who loves us enough to die for us.