day 1417: Learnings From The Camino (part 5): Leaving Behind

"The path of life leads upward for the wise; they leave the grave behind."

I was told a story on the Camino of a Japanese Pilgrim who started on the Camino in Brussels, Belgium with over 40 pounds of weight in his pack. He was a slight man and the pack left him bent over and staring down at the ground as he trudged forward step by step.  Early in the walk he was approached by experienced Pilgrims who told him that he must shed weight and leave things behind that he did not need.  This same conversation happened multiple times during the Camino but he continued to carry the large burden. With just a few days left he was once again approached and was asked how he could have carried all of that weight the whole time and why he didn't leave anything behind.  He responded, "This is my problem.  I cannot leave anything behind."  We see this all the time don't we?  We see people who can't leave behind material goods, hurts, resentment, guilt or the general baggage of life. It shows up in life and it shows up in work! If we can't leave the past behind and if we can't let loose of those things that weigh us down then how can we ever move forward with the speed and nimbleness that business and work demands.

It's simple but it is so hard. If we could only leave behind those things that keep us from our close relationship with Christ.  We try and carry what God wants to carry for us.  If we don't trust that God will carry the burdens for us then we will be weighed down and holding ourselves back.  God doesn't want us to live that life so we just have to have the courage and the conviction to shed and just leave it behind.

Reference: Proverbs 15:24 (New Living Translation)

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