Three weeks ago I learned that one of my squad mates had a vision about my whole team, but really focused on me and one of my other teammates Jake. The vision was where our whole team was walking around in this big white room. We had these heavy packs on our back and just seemed to be walking aimlessly. Then Jake and I recognize this big cross at the other side of the room and we started walking towards it. I was the first to reach the cross and Jake wasn’t far behind. When I reached the cross I looked tired and drained and just exhausted from the journey. As we sit there at the cross we knew we had to take off our packs, but we also knew that, that was going to be the hardest part of the journey. Apparently I was very hesitant to take off the pack but I finally picked up the courage to do so. I walked away from that pack looking radiant and happy and I never looked back at it. I was the one that led the team to the cross so that we could get rid of our bags together.
These bags that we were carrying were the burdens that we put on backs. The burdens that we never let anyone else know about. The burdens that are just too deep in the bag to let the slightest bit of light in. These burdens have weighed us down for too long. It was time we lay them at the foot of the cross, and that’s exactly what I did.
Five days ago I told my team one of the deepest parts of my life. It was something that I vowed to bring to my grave. It was literally something that I thought that I would never have to tell anyone, let alone five other people that I just got to know 2 months ago. I felt so much shame from it. I didn’t want anyone else to know. I had thought that my team would be mad at me or never look at me the same way after telling them. I think that’s why God told me to tell them. Not because it was super important that I tell my team this part of my life but because by telling them I’m laying down my baggage for all to see. If you want other people to see what’s in your bag then you have to take it off of your back.
Telling my team was the best decision I made. They didn’t get mad at me or look at me differently. Instead they were excited for me, they were excited that I was no longer that person anymore. My team made me claim my bag, but instead of leaving me to carry it myself they helped me carry it to the foot of the cross. I no longer walk around with that bag on my back. I no longer have to go to the baggage claim because I no longer have baggage to carry because Christ already took it for me.
