Jesus in a Handbag

For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:8

Recently, I was talking with a group of friends, and we were reminiscing about a friend that had passed away. We laughed and shared stories about what we would always remember about her. The common story amongst us was that our friend could never tell a story quickly. She would get caught up in the details that most of us did not care about. But apparently, we all had our own way of encouraging her to get on with the general gist of the story. No matter how much we encouraged her to get on with it, she totally ignored us and told the story in her way. It was also during these stories that we all learned to multi-task, and we learned to appreciate the speaker phone. The laughter that erupted after this conversation was cathartic. Even in the midst of sadness, we could laugh and share great memories. How do you want to be remembered? What trails are you leaving behind?

Our friend was remembered for living life fully and unapologetically. She filled rooms with mere presence, quirkiness, and positivity. One group member said, “She was light. She lit up every place, but her biggest gift was giving encouragement to people. She gave friends, loved ones, and random people words of encouragement. And she did this even though there was no solicitation for words of encouragement. It was great! It was almost like she carried Jesus in a handbag!”  The group erupted with laughter again as we all agreed that she carried so much stuff in her handbag so why not have a little Jesus in there too?

If we had to assess the belongings in our handbags, backpacks, and briefcases, would we find a little Jesus in there? While this statement brought laughter and positive memories, it also placed a challenge before us as to how do you carry Jesus in your handbag? What does that look like? Does it mean that there is an item that is representative of Jesus?  Or is this more of a symbolic statement? Although our friend is no longer with us, she has left us a very definitive message.

The handbag, backpack, or briefcase is representative of the human heart. If we were to survey the contents of our hearts, would we find Jesus there? The light that she brought was carried in her heart. It was a love for Christ that she was sharing boldly and brightly with the world. Nobody had to ask for it, look for it, or wait for it. She was carrying Jesus in a handbag to freely give light to others.

I don’t know about you, but I will never look at bags the same again, and I will inventory the contents of my heart. Where is Jesus in your handbag?

CrayDawg © 2022