What’s in your bag?

I used to love reading the one-page column in Pointe Magazine called “What’s in your bag?” highlighting a dancer and asking what’s in their dance bag.  A dancer’s bag is sacred to them, and every dancer has a set of essential items — some practical, some sentimental, some personal — they carry with them at all times. Warm-up pants, sewing kit, breath mints, Theraband, a backup set of shoes. One dancer talks about her favorite pair of leg warmers being cut from the sleeves of an old sweater!

I absolutely love this column because I soooooo relate. I’m obsessed with bags (and bag contents) that best suit my preparedness for any situation. Just like Jesus spoke of in the parable of the 10 bridesmaids, I keep my lamp trimmed and burning - I show up prepared, travel with my essentials. And friends, let me tell you, my list of essentials isn’t short. Keys, wallet, cellphone. Earbuds. Gum. Sanitizer. Nail file. Lip balm. Ear plugs. Tylenol (and Advil). Pen. Notebook. Lotion for my dry hands. A spare tote bag. Multi-tool. I’m proud that in most situations, when someone says, “Hey, does anyone have a…” (fill in the blank) I’m often the one to say, “I do!” 

Our spiritual lives also have “essentials” that we carry with us. You can’t just walk into a tough situation and expect that the peace of God will immediately come to you.  It takes practice and preparedness, much like the letter to the Ephesians talks about putting on the “armor of God.” What’s in your spiritual bag? What do you always bring with you to be prepared for your day? Is it a daily meditation that gets delivered to your inbox? Do you spend some time in prayer each day? Is it your daily walk at lunchtime that gets you thinking differently? What do you read? Listen to? Are there any objects you keep that you can touch, or see, that are little reminders to you to keep going? I have a wooden cross on my desk that a friend gave me as an ordination gift, and prayer beads I can travel with, both literally touchstones for my spiritual life.

The beauty of spiritual practices is that they aren’t one-size-fits-all. Different strokes for different folks, so to speak.

What’s in your spiritual bag? What are your essentials?