What I Carry In My Handbag

Some women carry handbags as a fashion statement. They pay for designer bags that cost a lot. Sometimes those fashion-statement bags cost as much as their monthly mortgage payments.

I do not carry a handbag as a fashion statement. My handbag is not just a handbag. It's a portable sanctuary. It holds essentials that reveal a lot about me. The items remind me of who I am and what means a lot to me.

If you want to know who I am, don't just ask to see my driver's license or my social security card. If you want to know my qualifications, please don't rely on my resume. If you want to know what I believe, don’t ask to see my mission statement. All you have to do to find out about me is ask to peek inside my handbag. Inside, you’ll find more than crumbled receipts, gum wrappers, and peppermints. You would see items that represent who I am and what I believe.

My Handbag

There is nothing fancy about the outside of my handbag. It isn't about the name brand or the cost. It is more about the contents. Each item on the inside is what really counts. Every piece is meaningful because it represents more than what meets the eye. The items are sacred reminders of what I carry in my heart.

Furthermore, my handbag is my traveling ministry in motion.

My handbag is a portable altar that holds ordinary items with sacred significance.

So, what's inside my purse?

The small cross tucked in a side pocket represents my anchored faith. When I see the cross, I think about what happened on a cross over 2,000 years ago at Calvary.

A miniature Bible assures me that “God's word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

The crumpled note reminds me of my daily spiritual disciplines that keep me motivated and moving throughout the day.

Hand sanitizer reminds me to keep my hands clean (Psalm 26:6) and my heart clean (Psalm 51:10).

Sunglasses shade my eyes from distractions and allow me to see through lenses of grace.

I carry keys for easy access to places of refuge.

My pen is my staff, and my notepad is my scroll to “Write the vision and make it plain” (Habakkuk 2:2). Those two items are needed for me to write down sudden inspirations and revelations. They are needed for me to record whispers from heaven.

I carry tissues for tears of joy, grief, laughter, and spirit-led conviction.

Water is for my refreshment and readiness, and I have it in case I need to give God's little ones a cup of water" (Matthew 10:42).

What Is Never In My Handbag

You will never find things in my handbag that represent anything negative. Things that are always absent include unpaid parking tickets, overdue bills, unfulfilled promissory notes, and unchecked to-do lists. That means I am never burdened with a heavy load, reminding me of unfinished business.

Author's Note

Your handbag may not look like mine, and it shouldn't. The outside might be newer and more expensive. Surely, your personal contents will be different from mine because we are not alike. However, it could hold your own sacred essentials.

Feel free to clean out your handbag. Remove those things that don't represent who you are or who you want to be. What you carry will reveal a lot about you. Therefore, make sure every item equips and empowers you!