A 57-year-old California woman carried a dead body in her car for 10 months. The body belonged to a homeless woman she had befriended and let sleep in her car. But the homeless woman died unexpectedly, so, not knowing what to do, and fearing the police, she drove the body around for months along with a box of baking soda to hide the smell.

How many of us are driving around carrying cadavers of fear and failure?

How many of us are hanging deodorant trees on our rearview mirrors to hide the smell of the guilt of our sins and shame from our transgressions?

How many of us stick smiles on our faces and drape new clothes on our bodies to conceal the deep sense of unworthiness that we can’t seem to get rid of?

On the outside, people see only happy faces and normal lives. Inside, however, we hide the hulls of shipwrecked hearts and ancient hurts.

If we’ll but turn it all in to the Master, rather than lock us up, he’ll set us free. Free from ourselves and our limitations.

Then the surface calm can be true depth of peace.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry” (Matthew 11:28-30 NET).

J. Randal Matheny @ www.forthright.net