the Perfect bag

This past summer I was asked to teach dance at a Christian sports camp. Right up my alley, I thought. No problem. I choreographed a fun jazz dance to a praise song, refreshed myself with a little technique, and gathered up some music. Easy. Then I realized I'd also have to be talking to these mostly 8-11 year-old girls about Jesus. Man, I thought, what if someone had talked to me about Jesus during those years, how different my life might have been! What hurt my heart might have been saved from. I would have heard about love in a whole different light - a love that wasn't interested in make-up or mini skirts, but a Love that already was in place and could replace all of that! Instead though, that age was a turning point  in the wrong direction for me. I'm able to look back now and be grateful for my past, with all its hurt and struggle, but only because it eventually  led to perseverance, character, and hope for me (Romans 5:3-5). Yet at the same time, I couldn't help but to think about the impact Jesus could make on these young girls at this crucial time.

Mine happens to be a diaper bag  :)

So one of the days at camp we were to discuss with our groups the importance of Jesus in our individual lives. How could I explain this in a way that young, impressionable girls might be able to relate to? I didn't want to give them the details of my personal story - too much for a little girl to handle. I could just imagine the phone calls of parents coming in the next day LOL. But as I was packing my bag that day, a perfect teeny-bopper-sized analogy of my testimony came to mind. Even now, it's a perfect reminder for myself every time I pack my purse.



I told the girls that I was first introduced to Jesus right after turning 14. At that time, I was a busy young woman. Dance, school, plays, more dance, friends, boys, and dance filled my schedule. I told them to imagine their favorite purse. And if life was this adorable bag, then I had all of my interests and activities already thrown into my big bag of life at age 14. So when I heard about Jesus, and liked it, and started going to church, I simply threw Him and church in my bag with everything else that was already in there. He was in there definitely, I said, but sometimes I couldn't get to Him with all the other stuff on top. He definitely got a little smooshed by all those activities, especially the Sunday rehearsals, and sometimes was close to being crushed altogether by the friends, parties, and boys that were overflowing from my bag.

The girls got this! We passed an empty tote around and they each shared all the stuff that fills their cute, little girl, "life bags." They laughed and smiled. But then I told them that as I got older and experienced some challenging things, I realized that Jesus can't just be thrown into our bags like all our other interests and activities. Jesus needs to BE THE BAG - the Protector, the Vessel, the Life. HE holds all of it in place and we need to trust Him to carry it all. Everything in our lives needs to find it's place in this Perfect purse we're given. But also, sometimes a girl has just gotta clean out her stuff! Get rid of the junk, so that she can use and appreciate her beautiful Bag.

1 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 6 reminds us: "yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live." And so we choose Him and trust Him to carry all of our stuff - in every outfit, in every season, every day - our Perfect bag.

It made sense to a bunch of little girls, and again to me this morning. Maybe it did for you too and every time you grab your bag on your way out-the-door, you can remember who's really holding it all together :)