As many of you know, I have been known to carry a "man bag" with me all around town.  Trendy or not, I have enjoyed the luxury of a 'looped around my wrist larger than a wallet companion' since my girls were both very young.  I'm not sure of the exact origin of this obsession, but I do know that once I discovered the man bag possibilities I was hooked, and have been ever since.  In the recent years my family has been begging me to drop the "purse" (as my daughter calls it) and jump back in line with the majority of the male population, carrying nothing but a slim wallet in my back pocket.  And since the recent theft of one of my favorite man bags (containing more than just my drivers license and cash) the idea of having something simple to replace the bag has seemed a wise decision.  But there is a little thing called habit.


Since I've been carrying a man bag for well over 30 years, shifting my thinking from an all encompassing bag to a limiting wallet has proven to be quite a challenge.  In my bag I can carry my phone, mints, larger notes & some mail, along with my usual cards, cash and identification.  In a wallet (which I have since purchased to appease my family) only the necessities will fit.  What this means to me is that I will have to downsize my lifestyle from excess to minimal.  Not the most exciting thought.


In thinking about this shift I have realized a couple things that I thought you might be able to relate to.  Firstly, change is never easy nor is fun.  Changing our mindsets is one of the most difficult hurdles that we must jump over in life.  When certain ways of thinking have been embedded into our every day processes, we become highly protective of them.  We challenge anyone who speaks contrary to our belief system (even though, most times, we never ask ourselves why we believe it).  We are quick to judge the person or people who have a different perspective or approach, and are pretty fast at labeling them.  We would much rather hold tight to 'traditional' thinking because it's been around a lot longer (or so we think) than something different or contrary.  Lastly, it was a real eye opener to see how much we (humankind) hold on to our 'stuff'.  We like having many things surrounding us at all times.  It's harder for us to strip away all of the excess inside of us and around us, in order to live a simple life of 'uncontrolled' trust in God.  We are really good at coming up with our reasons for needing things, rather than becoming experts in the art of the unexpected.  It's easier to rely on our many options, than it is to trust that the word of God has been planted in our hearts ready to spring into action at a moments notice.  To put it in the raw, we tend to favor the' usual' over the 'spontaneous' lifestyle.


Now, currently I continue to use my man bag even though I have a simple wallet.  I am allowing myself to fight against my initial tendencies in order to transition into a newer and although seemingly limiting, but ultimately freeing method of transporting my personal effects.  Although my family would have liked it to, change isn't always something that happens in a flash.  Sometimes it takes TIME and that's OK.  The important thing to remember is to continue to keep an openness in all that you are, in all that you say, in all that you do and in all that you believe (or think you believe).  God's word is concrete inside of your heart, and the Holy Spirit is guiding you along the way; so don't be scared of a little change, embrace the truth and it will set you free.