A few years ago, I was privileged to join my daughter, Brooklyn, and her class on a field trip to New Sweden, Maine. We toured the museum and grounds, celebrating the sacrifice the Swedish pioneers made over one hundred years ago to travel to the New World.

We walked through the various buildings admiring the artifacts and pictures of days gone by. I tried to imagine what it was like back then without electricity, and many of the conveniences we enjoy today. I also contimplated their spirit to explore and persevere in spite of setbacks and obstacles in their way.

One thing that caught my attention was the room where they have preserved the trunks used by the Swedes to carry their belongings to the New World. I asked Brooklyn to imagine putting all of our families belongs into one of these trunks. Some of them were no bigger than a large suitcase. The larger ones were about the size of an average coffin. And these were for the wealthier and/or larger families to put ALL of their prized possessions, including their clothing, into ONE of them. This reality caused me to question what really matters in life. If I had to put everything in our house into one trunk and travel thousands of miles to start a new life, what would I value most? What would have to be left behind?

I suppose that living for God is similar, in that, we too should revisit where Jesus brought us from. Go back to those ancient landmarks and recall His grace being granted and His beckoning to begin a new journey - a new life. Now, you only have one trunk to take things with you. What is important to you? What stays behind to be buried by time?

Some carry unecessary baggage. Things we thought we would need, we are finding that we should’ve left behind. Bags of guilt or shame. Bags of blame. Bags of past hurts or wrongs. These are all things that we should leave behind.

The thing that stood to me the most was the stone dedicated to the memorial of their arrival. On it, they thanked God for His blessing. I started to think, “What blessing?” For soon after they arrived, sickness swept through their colony and took the lives of most of their children. Plus, they had nothing compared to what I have today. I would daresay that I make more in a year than all them combined, and yet they thanked God for His blessing. Now just before this thought completely materialized, I realized that blessings aren’t always how much we have or how much we make. But true blessings are those of contentment. Like the sign that hung in one of the musuems that read, “Happiness is being content.” Yes, these pioneers were blessed. And it reminded me to thank God for my blessings too.

I am blessed with a family that loves God as much as I do.

I am blessed with a church family that desires to grow in His grace.

He has blessed me with a revelation of the Mighty God in Christ Jesus.

He has blessed me with true friends.

I challenge you to go back today to some old landmarks and thank God for where He’s brought you from. Maybe you need to be reminded to leave some baggage there and learn to enjoy the journey all over - after all, life is a journey, not a destination.

Blessings to you today… in Jesus Name!