Last week, we flew to California to spend some time with our family. Jalen and Emmy were super excited to see their Grammy and Papa, but not as excited as Jennifer and me. Where there are grandparents, there are date nights and naps! Smiles all around! Unfortunately, we got caught up in the moment wrangling two kids and all our stuff. We were all the way home before Jennifer noticed a bag was missing. She called the airline and sure enough, we’d left it at the airport. So the next morning, I drove back to get it.
I got much more than I was expecting.
The baggage claim office was small and stuffy. There was no furniture. There was barely a place to stand as I navigated my way through a maze of Samsonite. From behind the desk, Annie smiled and greeted me with an honest, “Can I help you?”. Her accent was straight from my childhood. I didn’t ask her, but I feel sure she must have grown up around the corner from me in Georgia.
I told her I’d lost my bag and gave her my license. She looked at it and said, “Scoggins…I saw that one in the back.” She headed towards a door that led to a back room, and just as she rounded the corner, she asked, “How’s your day going so far?” Then she was gone. I laughed because it reminded me of when the dentist asks you what you do for a living and then sticks his hand in your mouth. I wasn’t even sure she could hear me as I answered, so I moved around the corner of the desk – closer to the open door she’d disappeared through. We made small talk until I heard her say, “There it is!” A few seconds later, there was a small crash. Without thinking, I stepped beyond the Employees Only sign to check on her.
She was fine, but I was shocked at what I saw.
In hindsight, I guess I expected a walk-in closet. But the room was triple the size of what I’d have guessed it to be. And in it, from wall to wall and floor to ceiling were racks and racks filled with bags of all shapes and sizes.
“Whoa! What a mountain of stuff!”, I said.
“You’re telling me!”, she chuckled.
“All these bags are missing?”
“Not missing… They’re just waiting for their owners to pick them up.”
“How in the world do people just forget to get their bags? Don’t they realize they don’t have their clothes or their hair dryer?”
“That’s the least of it! You’d be amazed to know what’s just sitting here, waiting to be claimed.”
She made her way back to the door, my bag following after her. Outside, I took it from her, thanked her and was on my way. On the long ride home, I thought back to what I’d seen. Mounds of forgotten, lost and abandoned things, sitting in a holding room, waiting for the right someone to show up and take them home. And in the days since, Annie’s words have lingered in my head and my heart.
“You’d be amazed to know what’s just sitting here, waiting to be claimed.”
I’ve caught myself wondering if that could be said of me. What else is lying up on a shelf, forgotten, lost or abandoned and waiting for me to claim it?
The more I live, the more I’m convinced that fulfilling our purpose isn’t automatic. I sure wish I could believe we don’t miss anything important, but I can’t honestly make that case. We don’t accomplish everything we’re meant to do just by being, or obtain everything meant to benefit us and others simply because we’re moving and breathing.
Our life is ours to claim. But far too many of us don’t reach for more. Maybe we find it hard to believe there could be more to us than what we see.
This week, I’ve spent some time imagining a room filled from floor to ceiling with all the good things meant for me – to be, to have, to do and to give. I want it all, don’t you? The good and the bad. If it’s got my name on it, if it was meant for me and if I’m truly equipped to carry the weight of it, I want it.
What if there’s more waiting for you –
Deeper love for your family and friends,
Greater purpose and fulfillment in your work,
Blessings beyond your hopes and needs,
More for you to contribute to the world around you,
A legacy that would shape generations to come…
What if your life was meant for more than you’ve ever hoped or imagined?
With open hands and an open heart… ask for it.
You’d be amazed to know what’s just sitting here, waiting to be claimed.
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Amazing & profound! As always, very thought provoking. I thought of that image, though, & imagined all the *children* around the world waiting for someone to “claim” them & take them home. A sobering thought for sure.
You blow me away Chance!!!! What else more can I say!?!? You just…..have SUCH a gift!!! A beautiful, uplifting gift!!! ❤
I don’t know how to respond…Thank you so much, Dee. My heart is full.
I totally agree! Chance you’ve just gotta keep doing what you’re doing … it’s working … and now that I’ve found you … I’m gonna be a die-hard follower also!
Infinite Blessings ~
Karin
So good, Chance! Makes me think of some of the things I’ve yearned to do for years. I especially love the thought that we claim what’s meant for us; what already has our name on it. Miss you, friend!
Thanks, Colleen. :) I love that thought too. I really believe it’s true.
Shared you on Happiness Convert!
Thanks, Marabeth! Everybody go LIKE Happiness Convert on FB. Happy, challenging, thoughtful posts and beautiful art will show up in your feed. :)
Great stuff. As usual!
Thanks, Debby! :)
Love this! So much of my passion involves helping us be present. Much of what you’re describing here will be missed if we’re not present. There is so much more, if only we claim it! Awesome awesome stuff this morning for me!
Thanks, Josh. I’m guilty myself of giving most of my attention to three steps forward, or pining over a mistake made long ago. Being present is key. Good passion to have.
If it’s got my name on it…
I enjoyed reading every word. Today I take another step to live the biggest life possible.
Thanks so much for reading, Alzay. And I’m with you…If it’s got my name on it…