Saturday, July 12, 2008

New Word: Packulating


Packulating is the process of packing and then unpacking for the sake of repacking to make sure everything is packed perfectly and with the correct weight. For instance my clothes came out to weighing 24KG and the ANA airlines only allows 23KG max per bag. I could just pay the $25.00 fee and bump it up to 75 lbs total. So a 50lb bag is about 52 lbs. So I have to packulate and figure out what equals 2 lbs. Is it my jeans or my big gaijin under ware or is it just one of my suits. It sounds easy only I have everything vacuum packed in those space saver bags and I have sucked all the life out of my clothes. I have to give them CPR and resuscitate the clothes and then repack them and reweigh the container. As it is our containers are exactly 3/10ths less than the max size. I am not trying to just take our clothes but we have household items, School books for homeschooling, teaching supplies, music instruments. I haven't even touched the base of what our kids think or plan on bringing. It is crazy. We have just spent months liquidating all of our worldly possessions and we still have too much to take with us. America, we are pathetic. I have talked to so many of you.You have way more than us especially you empty Nester's. They left everything behind and you still can't get rid of that old toboggan that nobody wants to ride and your grand kids will want the latest snow mobile and you will cave in and buy it and amazingly you will wind up storing that as well. What is wrong with America. No wonder Jesus told the rich young ruler to go sell all he had and then come and follow Jesus. Jesus knew it'd be a burden if he said, "Go and move all your stuff into your parents garage and then come follow me." Jesus knows that stuff hinders the work of the Holy Spirit in our life or mostly from my experience it grieves the Holy Spirit. I will come home happy until I see what the kids have broke and it's just stuff but boy I sure can go from super spiritual to Flesh miester in 2/10ths of a second flat. I remember K.P Yohannan the Missionary from India now living in Dallas who talked about a man hit by a car and was laying in a ditch for 4 or 5 days and a little old lady came over to him each day and fed him some rice. When help arrived they found he was homeless and his only possession was a 5 cent coin held in his hand. When I think of that man I make myself sick with how encumbered I am with stuff. I know a sister friend who wants to move out of state. She doesn't have much but it is a burden and she doesn't know what to do with it all. Paul tells us in Hebrews 12 to lay aside every weight and encumbrance that we might run the race with endurance. That puts a different perspective on my packing. Just imagine me running with my luggage. Mihoko and I found solace with the good people at goodwill. They are so kind they take anything except carpets no matter how nice and pillows. Anyway, I have to get back to Packulating. I'll pack you later you packulater. Haa haa haa. I am okay really I'm fine. Have I told you there is a lot of stress involved in this process? Pray that we pack perfectly.

No comments: