One of the standing jokes between Pam and me is our method in packing a suitcase.  I pack my suitcase once and Pam packs hers 3 times… at least.

It happens most every trip.  A week or two before we’re scheduled to leave, a suitcase appears in our bedroom and a small pile of clothes and sundries begins to form.  As the days go by, the pile grows- jeans, capris, shirts, a dress or two, several pair of shoes, a sweatshirt, various lotions and powders, a travel pillow, hair dryer, curling iron, books, Bible, reading light,  a small solar powered refrigerator.  Just kidding about the refrigerator.

Then, one day the pile mysteriously disappears, and a completely packed suitcase sits neatly by the door.  But that’s not the end.  Soon another pile begins to form next to this fully packed suitcase- a flashlight, granola bars, camera, bug spray, medicine kit, jacket, sweater, more socks, etc.

A couple more days go by, and the packed suitcase gets reopened, and everything is pulled out and rearranged to make room for the new items. The shoes on the left get moved to the right.  The shirts get moved from the top to the bottom.  The sweater and jacket go where the shoes used to be… you get the picture.  But soon enough, everything is reassembled. and the suitcase again stands by the door, packed and ready to go, but this time slightly bulging with the zipper extenders opened.

Everything remains in place until the day before we leave. And then the suitcase is reopened and rearranged one final time as items are shuffled between her backpack, carryon and checked luggage.

My approach is… different.  The night before we leave, I do a calculation.  How long will we be gone?  10 days.  Will there be a washer and dryer available? Yes.  OK, I need 5 days worth of clothes that will all need to be washed once.  I’ll be wearing one set already, so I need 4 pair of underwear, 4 pair of socks, 4 shirts, two pair of pants or shorts that mix with the shirts, and my swimsuit, just in case.  I’ll be wearing shoes, so I’ll throw in a pair of flip flops to mix things up.  Here’s my shaving kit with toothbrush and deodorant… check.  Ok, well that about does it.  I zip up my satchel and set it by the door. Wow, that took 12 minutes… I wonder what’s on TV?

I remind myself that different is not right or wrong, it’s just different.

However, for our Uganda mission trip we really worked together.  I was so proud of her.  For that 16-day trip we shared one suitcase together so we could use our other suitcase for ministry supplies.  She still packed things 3 times, but in the end all our clothes and personal items fit into one suitcase that was under 50 pounds. It worked!  Amazing. We had everything we needed.

The lesson in all of this?  When you travel, try to pack light.

Did you know that the Bible compares our earthly life to an extended trip?  We’re not permanent residents here. We’re just passing through.

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 1 Peter 2:11 (NLT)

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20

For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Hebrews 13:14

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. John 17:15-16

Travelers have a different mindset than permanent residents. They carry less and embrace simplicity. They enjoy the sights and experiences of their current location but know that it’s not long-term.  They appreciate where they are but don’t become overly attached to it because they know they’ll soon be headed home. They remain flexible and try to keep things uncomplicated because every additional entanglement adds weight and slows them down.  And who want to haul around a bunch of stuff you don’t need on an out-of-town trip? And eventually, they tire of travel and long for the familiarity and comforts of home.

So, in this life, are you a traveler or a permanent resident?  Are you overly attached to the stuff of this life or do you long for something better?  Are you traveling light or are you expending immense amounts of energy investing in and carrying around stuff you really don’t need? And are you enamored with the temporary trip or focused on that which lasts… forever?

May we like those who have gone before us walk by faitth “like a stranger in a foreign country” while we look “forward to the city with foundations whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:9-10