STOP, DROP and ROLL!
July 6, 2012
Anybody remember STOP, DROP and ROLL? When I was in elementary school, one of our big events was to have the fire department come and explain the safety procedures in case of an emergency. The first thing they taught us to do in a fire was to STOP, DROP and ROLL.
I’ve thought about that warning a lot lately. Thankfully my recollection wasn’t needed for an actual fire but because I’ve been traveling so much. When I travel, I always ROLL up my clothes. It’s really amazing how much you can fit in a suitcase when tops and bottoms are rolled instead of folded. Since my last trip required me to stay in three different houses over the course of a week and since I was picking up my daughter from camp, I needed as much room in my luggage as possible. So I rolled my shirts, I rolled my skirts, and I rolled my shorts. I rolled and rolled and rolled and rolled. I even re-rolled several things when I packed to fly back to PA because I wanted to make sure if I got stranded in an airport overnight, I would have everything I needed (or at least wanted!).
So now I’m back home. My clothes are hanging up or folded (or just thrown) in my drawers and nothing really is rolled.
Or is it? Or should it be?
Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He will do it.”
Would you believe the word “commit” means “to roll up or roll together”? In other words, “Roll up your way (literally your course of life) and give it to the Lord, trusting Him to carry you safely through your journey.
When I read that verse and another one very similar to it (see Proverbs 16:3) I thought about all the clothes I had rolled and placed in my carryon bag. When I rolled up the essentials, I was more efficient and I had more room for accessories.
By rolling up my way, my plans, my hopes and dreams and giving them to God, I am trusting Him to be efficient for me thus leaving room in my life to serve Him better.
Learning to pack by rolling all my clothes took a little practice. I literally had to STOP and think about what I needed to take with me. Then I chose to DROP the items that wouldn’t fit or would take up unnecessary room. Finally I could ROLL the clothes and be ready to go!
I’ve also learned that sometimes I need to repack my mind using this technique:
STOP – Do I really need to pack these thoughts and attitudes?
DROP – What is taking up unnecessary space in my head and heart?
ROLL – Am I trusting God enough to hand all my plans over to Him?
Whether you are on the road or safely at home, maybe you need to do a little repacking today as you consider your ways. Maybe it’s time to STOP, DROP and ROLL. (ct)