More than you can carry

I chose Veranda font for this post-it always reminds me of the line from The Three Amigos where the Mexican woman says to Chevy Chase's character-"Would you like to kiss me on the veranda?" He says "No...the lips would be fine."

I was thinking about people who try to carry too much at one time and wondering if its something in our DNA. Maybe its something that happens when we become parents I don't know. Seinfeld said we all like to think we're superheros of some sort-that's why we see guys driving down the road in their car carrying a mattress on top of the car and have one arm out the window holding it on the car-as if they could keep the mattress from flying away using one arm.

I think the same is true of parents-we frequently try to carry way more than we can all in the name of not making more than one trip. Intellectually we may realize that one more trip would not actually be that much more effort or that much more inconvenient. But if you're like me I convince myself that I can carry a bag with my things in it, a twelve pack of Diet Dr. Pepper, a stack of books, my calendar, and maybe a couple of protein bars or something. Then I actually have the gall to get angry when I drop something.

Parents I think do this when we have our children-especially when they're infants. We have the stroller all loaded up-the baby is in it-then we have to get all of the things that we carry as parents-the diaper bag, the stuffed toy, the book to read (as if) and maybe an item we're trying to return to the store. More than once I found myself with one or both of our daughters balancing what seemed like ten items or more along with one girl on the hip and one in the stroller-women do this with their eyes closed AND work full time AND balance a checkbook-me? I get sympathy/pity/"what are you a moron?" looks from women who see this clueless dude about to topple over from the weight he's carrying.

So why is it that I insist on attempting to carry more than I am able at one time? No good answer other than wishing I was Superman.

We have to be careful that trying to avoid more trips from the car to the house isn't demonstrated in all the ways in which we live. If we're not careful we can try to take on more than our fair share and this only wears us out in the long run.

So I end by sharing this piece of good news: "No matter what we do think or say-we CAN'T make God love us any more or any less." That's truly Good News.

So lay down your five grocery bags, the mail, a movie rental, your keys, a pair of gym shoes, your overnight bag, and umbrella and rest in the knowledge that we can make more than one trip-and that we don't have to carry it all. God will help us and our brothers and sisters around us will help us. I pray that this gives us strength and encouragement.

Grace,
Dwight