From the Archives ...SHEDDING THOSE EXTRA KILOS by Anusha Atukorala

A few weeks ago, I had the special joy of whizzing off to Sri Lanka to spend ten enchanting days with my beloved Mum. After I’d packed for my trip, I discovered to my dismay, that the combined weight of clothes, gifts and other necessities, came to a hefty 35 kilos. Oh ohhhh! My bag allowance was only 20 kilos. Something had to go.

After some huffing and puffing, unpacking and repacking, sorting through, taking out, throwing out, putting in, pulling out and shoving back, I was finally only 5 kilos over. Whew! Much better. I wrote to Mum and my sisters telling them of a doctor’s visit that day and added a post script.

PS. I’m still trying to get rid of a few kilos. Alas, I’m 5 kilos overweight.

Mum replied at once. “Don’t worry about shedding those 5 kilos while you’re on holiday, Anu. You can think about it when you return home."

My sister Sal was on the ball. ‘Mama, I’m sure Anu means her bags and not her own weight.’ If you heard peals of laughter going off in three different homes on three different continents, that was us.

My reply? “As for my own weight, that would be a good 10 kilos over. “

My beautiful Mama responded as only she would.
"Don’t worry Anu. You and your 10 extra kilos are all welcome. Waiting for you." When I reached Sri Lanka a few days later, we had a hearty laugh together about those extra kilos.

Extra baggage—we all have it in some form, don’t we? I’d love to shed 10 kilos from my person but the older I get the harder it is to lose them. Know what I mean? What about our work? A diarrhoea of words is usually a sign of bad writing, isn't it? I don’t know how it is with you—but I struggle with being economical enough with my words. And then, the problem of too much stuff applies to us disciples of Jesus too, doesn't it?

What kind of ‘weight’ need I shed today? Of recent months, God’s been challenging me about my character. Have I allowed His Holy Spirit to work in me? God desires that I become holy and blameless. The truth is that God calls me to be more than a Christian Writer. He calls me to be a woman after His own heart. How else can I communicate His truth to others? I need to be ‘walking the walk’ so I can ‘talk the talk’.

There’ve been many kinds of gear that have needed to come off my own life at different points in my journey. Selfishness, pride, unforgiveness. Laziness, greed, indifference. Anxiety, self centeredness, slander. Disobedience, fear, rebellion. And more. Much more. As I look back, I am very grateful to the Holy Spirit who gently nudges me along the way and refines me step by step into what He's called me to be.

Editing myself is a very painful exercise, but one that's needed throughout my life. Hebrews 12:14 informs me that holiness is an essential part of my walk with Jesus. 1 Peter 2:9 reminds me that we, the body of Christ are saved so we could fulfill His purposes for His world. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

It would bless God's heart I know, if you and I would conform to the image of Jesus. So one beautiful day, our Amazing One and Only Designer-Creator- Editor , He who crafts the stories of our lives, would lay down His heavenly pen with flourish, gaze at us Christian writers with a joyful smile, the love-light glowing in His eyes, and say to us, "Well done thou good and faithful Image-bearers. You are precious in my eyes and exactly as I planned you to become. Enter into the joy of my Kingdom."

Wouldn’t that be worth striving for?

Anusha Atukorala is a writer who is a work in progress. She delights in many things including life, love, family, friends, reading and writing. Her first book Enjoying the Journey contains 75 little life lessons drawn out of her experiences of God's amazing love and goodness. Do drop in to say G'day at her website: Dancing in the Rain.
She would love to connect with you.