A luggage party? I know you think I’ve lost my mind, don’t you? What exactly is a luggage party? And isn’t this a site for estranged relationships? How does that all fit in?
Well, it’s for those with broken promises. Estranged relationships. The broken hearted and emotionally exhausted. Is it resonating?
How about those grieving loss and questioning God? Yes, for them too. You might be surprised who shows up because I don’t know a single person who hasn’t struggled with a broken promise in life.
And statistics show that over 70 million people are estranged. I don’t know about you, but I’m emotionally exhausted this year.
So, yes, count me in for the luggage party.
What Luggage does the Estranged Bring?
This party, unlike others you may know, is attended by you. It’s private and although there will be many others attending their own, this one is unique for you.
The date and time are up to you, but don’t delay. Schedule it as soon as possible. It doesn’t need to last exceptionally long but allocate an hour because this party is all about you.
What you will bring is all the baggage you’ve collected this past year.
- Rejection from someone you love and care about.
- Betrayal.
- Painful memories.
- Dreams hoped for but not realized.
- Feelings of unworthiness.
- Anger or bitterness toward others.
- Inability to forgive.
- Name whatever you want – it’s your party and your baggage.
And bring an open mind, a teachable spirit, and an expectation.
Rules of the Party
It’s simple. Find a quiet place where you can be alone. Bring your baggage written down on paper. If you are so inclined, find a scripture that identifies with your 2024 experience.
For example, mine was James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy when you encounter trials of various kinds, knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” It became clear to me that 2024 was a year of testing for me.
That mind shift made sense when I thought about it, and it helped me see the purpose in the heartache and trials.
I began in prayer thanking God for his presence in my life. I ask him to bless my time with him as I hand over my luggage to him piece by piece. I had a lot of baggage to offload this year!
And then, I offer each hurt, broken promise, disappointment, and unforgiving spirit spending a little time on each one. As I give it to him, I envision it as a weight that I’ve dropped. It’s amazing how heavy they become.
And if I’ve withheld forgiveness, I ask God to help me forgive in my heart. It may not be possible to share the forgiveness with that person, but God knows, and your heart does too.
Finish with gratitude that God is willing to take the heavy burdens from you so that you no longer must carry them. And then the grand finale.
Leave the Luggage Behind
You’ll be tempted to schlep some of that luggage back out with you but leave it! Contemplate how light your spirit is. You’ve just off loaded a ton of baggage to one who can carry it much better than you or I.
The hard part is walking out that door and leaving the luggage behind. It serves no purpose in your life. The only thing it will do is weigh you down and you’ll become sluggish again and unable to finish 2025 strongly.
You have a new slate. New opportunities. New relationships. New hopes and dreams. You’ll never realize those if you carry that old baggage around with you.
You may walk out to relationships that are still broken and estranged. Your heart may still ache from betrayal or grief. That’s okay. Acknowledge the feeling and then remind it that you’ve left it behind and can no longer give any time to it now.
And then walk into 2025 with renewed confidence and make things happen! Need a little help? Subscribe to my podcast Estrangement: Turning Pain into Peace at www.beckykolb.com/podcast
Or, download my story at www.beckykolb.com/guide/download