On Baggage - and the "Worthy" shirt
Baggage, we call it that because it can be heavy, and in my mind more importantly, it can be put down and left behind. What baggage are you carrying? Is it the ugly, heavy leather bag labeled “you can’t”? Or the other one, the worn out, grubby black back with too much wear on it, this one is labeled “not your turn?” And last of all, the one the size of a briefcase, but weighs as much as a small VW, it’s labeled “You’re not worthy.” Now, because it always comes to mind when this word comes up… (insert visual of Wayne & Garth saying "We're not worthy!")
Worthy is such a funny word, it wasn’t until it entered my world with force a while back it got my attention. When my Dad was getting re-married one of my good friends had said she wanted to meet his bride-to-be to ensure she was “worthy” of him. We laughed, but something about that word stuck in my mind and when we went on our first family vacation together my new Mom got us all “Worthy” shirts. I was amazed at how much this shirt meant to me. I felt sheepish about wearing it, but it made me feel so good inside. I felt seen. It’s hard to explain, but it obviously was helping fill a hole I didn’t even realize was there.
We all have moments in life that have left us feeling less than worthy. As humans one of our deepest needs is to be accepted and loved, to be cherished, to feel our worth being recognized by those we love. Well, just in case you needed to hear it today, “You are worthy!”