The Beauty of Packing Light

Today's the day. After months of preparation and anticipation, I'm leaving for Ukraine. Honestly, I have no idea what I'm getting myself into. It's exciting and incredibly nerve racking, but it's time and I'm ready... I think. Well, I'm at least packed. We were asked to pack very lightly, bringing only a cary on. This part of preparation I thought was going to be difficult, but as I researched packing methods and began compiling a packing list, I realized that packing light is actually quite exhilarating. There is something very freeing about living like a minimalist. Though I had to pack and repack to get my small carry on and backpack to weigh only 26 pounds, I managed. This morning as I was doing my devotions, I realized that packing lightly has to do with more than simply rolling t-shirts and limiting yourself to only 2 bags.
As I was reading the story of Thomas, you know the man who will live infamously in history as the "doubter," I realized that not only did I need to leave some of my clothing home, but also some of my expectations. I needed to have blind faith and trust. It is so easy to go into trips like these and imagine what is going to happen. I'm a daydreamer and I like to conjure up wild imaginations of what my life may hold. However, when I do this I often get in trouble. See, my planning and dreaming means that I try to take control of my life. I loose faith. The connection between this and the story of Thomas is fairly small, but hopefully it'll make as much sense to you as it does to me. See, after Jesus shows Thomas His scars He says,

Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

Jesus is telling Thomas that faith is meant to be blind. It is meant to be completely trusting. I can dream up ideas and plans, creating for myself expectations, but that is not living with a blind, trusting faith. That is me taking control. As Thomas hoped to see proof of the resurrection, so I am hoping for certain outcomes. Packing light spiritually means letting go of these expectations. It means going to Ukraine completely trusting in whatever plan God has and realizing that I don't need to see it. This kind of packing light is even more freeing and exhilarating than the first. When God takes control, it's a beautiful thing.