A lot of people responded to my last blogpost, “Goodness vs. Chaos 1-0”. I was delighted to hear that it triggered the sharing of testimonies of how small things done with great love change the world.
Testimonies are vital. They give glory to God for what he has done, as well as prophesy that he will do it again. Testimonies give hope. They feed the weary soul and shine a light in the darkness. The stories of God’s goodness speak redeeming truth into the bleakest circumstances. As we receive them, we know who we are because we know who our Papa is.
You can go ahead and read last week’s blogpost, if you missed out:
Some testimonies moved me even more than the others: the stories about sharing what you have in your trunk. If you have read the story by now, you’ll know that I’m talking about the trunk of your car. Or the boot, if your British. Alright, we’ll make this simple: Let’s talk about what you carry with you. Your baggage. The total of what you have experienced, what you own, what’s yours to give. Let’s talk about what you hide in the back of your car, or of your life. What do you have to pass on to others?
Well hidden
There are legacies that we resent. Lunch boxes that we carry with us through life while hating every second of it. Labels that are given to expose our weaknesses and shame us. Inherited traits that we would give anything to be without.
So, we hide them. We stuff them in the trunk in an attempt to forget that they were ever there, hoping that the so-called ‘truth’ that was spoken over us will somehow shrivel and die due to lack of light. But lies thrive in darkness.
Then there are wonderful things that get stored away in the trunk, too. Like talent. Gifts. Knowledge. If you’re of Scandinavian descent, you’ll have plenty of that in your trunk. We will do anything to avoid standing out, being visible or even celebrated. Whenever I got a good grade in school, I quickly hid it, making sure that no-one would ever find out that I had excelled. That way I still had friends. I’m sure this sounds strange to many people, but Scandinavians will recognize this. Maybe other parts of the world suffer from the ‘tall poppy’ syndrome, too?
Our Scandinavian trunks are filled with talents and knowledge. From time to time we allow ourselves to sneak something out of the trunk, but most of the time, we cover up what we know until it’s specifically asked for. Then it’s acceptable to access our gifting, but only for the purpose of helping others. I know, Scandinavians are weird.
Then there’s the junk that we store. The leftover pieces of experiences. What we used to feast on, but not anymore. The ‘too good to be thrown away’ stuff that holds little or no value to us. It will fit right into the trunk until we forget that it ever existed.
And there it remains. Lies, talents, and junk cohabit in the trunk of our life. Probably more stuff, too.
What would happen if you accessed it?
Brought to Light
What would happen to the lies you’ve been telling yourself it they were exposed to the light? What would it look like it you started operating from your God-given identity? Who might be set free as you speak out God’s truth into the lives of captives?
How would it affect your neighbors if you began using your gifts and talents? Not for special occasions, but every single day? What would change in your surroundings?
Could someone else benefit from what you call junk? How could your leftovers bless someone? Is it possible that your experience can have a life-altering impact on others?
Do you know that you have two fish and five loaves of bread laying around in the trunk of your life?
What are you going to do about it?