A wonderful, oncefriend of mine, the late Rev. Dr. Ralph Glenn, once spoke at a minister’s luncheon on the topic of “baggage”: that bundle of guilt and remorse that burdens our lives when we do not confess, and permit the mercy of God to lift it from our shoulders.
When Ralph was in his late teens, he lived in a rural area of Alabama. The general store, owned by Dewey Daly, was where the men of the county gathered to relax, visit and play dominoes.
One day as they were nearing the store, Ralph’s best friend suggested, “Ya know, Ralph, about this time, all the fellows will be in the back of the store playing dominoes. I can go in there and get a can of Prince Albert. Then you can go in and lift a pack of papers. Then we can both take them down to the river and enjoy.” Ralph’s friend, sure enough, came back with the Prince Albert; and after about three abortive trips inside, Ralph came back with the papers.
Another thing for which Dewey Daly was noted was his field of mules. On another day, as they passed the field, Ralph’s friend mused, “I wonder if ol’ Dewey knows all of those mules.” He and Ralph decided to find out.
They took one of the mules to Dewy’s house, knocked on the door, and when Dewey answered, they asked, “Mr. Daly, we know you have a lot of mules. Would you like to buy another one?” And Dewey gave them ten dollars for the mule.
Years later, Ralph went off to college, then to seminary. Became a minister. Then one day found him back in that Alabama county. Wanting to set things right, and tired of the years of carrying that baggage of guilt, he decided to pay a visit to Dewey Daly.
Mr. Daly answered the door. “Well! The young preacher! We sure are proud of you around here, young man.”
Now, even more disturbed, Ralph began, “Mr Daley, I would like to talk to you about something.”
“What do you want to talk about,” asked Dewey, a smile playing across his face, “the papers or the mule?”
The psalmist knew this much about God: “You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance” (Ps 90:8). It is our inability to share burdensome secrets that cripples our hopes, our aspirations, our resolutions.
What would it mean to life to have someone with whom we could share our most meaningful, life-influencing secrets—the worries, cares and regrets we strive to carry alone? What would it mean to our spiritual well-being to have someone who could understand, forgive and encourage? How it would strengthen our hearts to have someone who, from doing so, could lift the burdens of life.
Jeremiah Rankin penned the hymn we can still sing: “Have you sins that to men’s eyes are hidden? Tell it to Jesus alone. Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus, He is a friend that’s well known; You’ve no other such a friend or brother, Tell it to Jesus alone.”
And The Book of Common Prayer has a prayer that anyone may pray: Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
What do you want to talk about? The paper or the mules?
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