Traveling Light

And so our journey begins it's final chapter. Sasha was at the airport waiting for our arrival this time. It was just super to walk through customs and see her standing there waiting for us. There she stood- with a new name, new family, new future, new destination, new destiny. An all new Sasha. I do not pretend to know what went through her mind as her head hit the pillow on her last night in the orphanage.

She was also wearing new clothes that we had brought for her on our last trip. When we reached the van, there in the back was a HUGE bright pink suitcase. We were informed that this was Sasha's suitcase. When picking her up from the orphanage, Natasha asked her if she was sure she needed all of this stuff. Sasha's reply was, "Oh yes, I need all of these things." We will work through it this week. We watched a similar situation unfold when we were here in February.

As we were going to pick Sasha up at the orphanage on our first trip in February, our guide Natasha was returning two large bags of clothes to the orphanage. Sasha is one of three girls who were room mates at the orphanage. They are all three being adopted by families in Texas. Sasha is the last to leave. Her two friends had just left the orphanage for the last time and Natasha now found herself bringing clothes back to the orphanage. The girls thought they needed to take all of those clothes with them. But once they saw that their new parents had new clothes for them, they decided they didn't need the old clothes after all and let go of them. I suspect they first hung on to the old clothes because it is all they owned in the world. They did not yet realize that now that they have been adopted, they are receiving a new inheritance and new identity that includes new clothes. Once upon a time all they owned in the world was a bag of worn out clothes. Now they walk in an eternal inheritance.

New.  New name, new family, new future, new destination, new destiny- new clothes. They now wear their new clothes and walk in their new identity. And so it will be with Sasha. I wonder what old mom can learn from this?

Galatians 2:20- My old self has been (past tense) crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 3:27- And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.

Paul says very clearly that he IS crucified with Christ, not that he is trying to be. Perhaps this is where I have gone wrong for so long. I keep a list of all the areas in my life that I need to surrender to God and then keep trying to surrender them. How long until I finally realize that the old Kerri is dead and start walking as Kerri who is new in Christ? Oh yes there is a life-long process involved, but I think I look at many old patterns in my life as though I have to battle and kill them- again. This is simply not true. The battle is already won. Rather, I need to say, "that was the old Kerri, but that is not who Kerri is now."

What is sin in the believer who has put on Christ anyway? When I see sin in my life it is the Holy Spirit showing me old patterns- old clothes. My heavenly Father is constantly pointing out old clothes that I need to throw away. It is not who I am anymore. I am finally starting to realize that working out my salvation is less about defeating sin and more about recognizing what is simply not true anymore. It is a constant daily choice- wear the new clothes, or go dig the old clothes out of the trash heap.

It is my new role in life now to help Sasha let go of much of the past and embrace her new identity. That being said, I have a strong feeling that the Father will be guiding me through my own journey of letting go of the past. I guess Sasha and I will get to walk this path together.