The Bag Lady
I have a peculiar toddler wandering around my house. I'm sure everyone thinks that about their toddler, but mine really is a little quirky. Like many toddlers, she has piles of toys everywhere but she always finds the weirdest little things to play with. The vast majority of her day is spent carrying little bags around our house, collecting little treasures and reorganizing things. These little treasures might follow her around for the next few days, including nap and bedtime. Other items are quickly discarded or removed by me (like when it's food!). The possibilities are pretty much endless for what she will decide is worthy of belonging in her bag for that moment. I have found multiple individually wrapped string cheeses, little tiny creatures, ping pong balls, bath toys, tiny beanie babies, cloth diapers (which are "nests" for tiny stuffed worms in case you are wondering), unmatched socks, etc. I often wonder why she insists on doing this. She often makes her little journeys way more difficult by bring along all these extras. Carrying a bag (or two) along with whatever else she can fit in her arms inevitably means that things are dropped, repeatedly, on her way from here to there.
I can't help be reminded of myself when watching my little pork-chop run around. I, as a sinner, am constantly carrying around baggage. My baggage of sin and guilt, as facilitated by the devil himself. Wouldn't it be easier if I dropped a bag or two? Wouldn't it be easier if I just set aside this sin, that regret, that guilt. Wouldn't God help me do this? Couldn't He and doesn't He make my load lighter by giving me unconditional love and forgiveness? He can prevent me from stumbling and falling under the load of my sin and guilt. Jesus instructs us in Matthew 11,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
This hymn also sums up this idea.
Chief of sinners though I be, Jesus shed his blood for me, Died that I might live on high, Lives that I might never die. As the branch is to the vine, I am his and he is mine!
Oh, the height of Jesus' love, Higher than the heavens above, Deeper than the depths of sea, Lasting as eternity, Love that found me -- wondrous thought! -- Found me when I sought him not.
Only Jesus can impart Comfort to a wounded heart: Peace that flows from sins forgiven. Joy that lifts the souls to heaven, Faith and hope to walk with God In the way that Enoch trod.
Chief of sinners though I be, Christ is all in all to me. All my wants to him are known; All my sorrows are his own. Safe with him in earthly strife, I await the heavenly life.
Strengthen me, O gracious Lord, By your Spirit and your word. When my wayward heart would stray, Keep me in the narrow way; Grace in time of need supply While I love and when I die.
And for the little shoppers in your life, here is a fun little project my husband and I have been working on! Seeing as we have a number of little bags always lying around our house, I wanted a little coat rack for my daughter to hang her little treasures. I bought a bunch of non-matchinig knobs on the cheap, I think they were less than a dollar a piece, from Pier One. (I had to ask where they were as they were essentially hidden in the way back.) We attached them to a piece of scrap wood. Then we had to add two pieces of wood to the back in order to allow for the ends of the knobs to be able to be screwed on, since they stuck out further than the wood. Then we hung it up by screwing in four screws in each corner. Now she has a place to hang her all her bags. Also, the top is serving as a little art display for an added bonus.
She seems pretty excited about it. I'm a little jealous and may have to make one for the adults in the house as well. I feel like I could use knobs and hooks everywhere. Add one to the entryway for coats, in our bedroom for the not clean but not dirty clothes that are always strewn everywhere or to hang necklaces and bracelets, or in the bathroom for towels.
What fun little odd and end projects do you have going around your house? What helpful things have you added in your house to keep you or your kids' things organized? Please share!
Just wanted to say a quick see you later, as I will be taking a bit of a hiatus from writing for a while as we anticipate the birth of our second child in the next few weeks. May God bless you all in your adventures in the meantime!
