Gentle Moving Day

Wednesday, March 27, 2013 Posted by Katie

The hymn of choice these days for the Pickard boys’ bedtime is “Just a Closer Walk with Thee”. We’ve been singing it every night for the last few weeks and I’m finding it following me into my days. I work in The Woodlands, an absolutely lovely little patch of lush green Texas living. Walks ‘round these parts are pure luxury. My body loves the exercise, my spirit loves the sunshine, and my heart loves the time with Jesus.

I had heavy ponderings during my walk today. I have observed so much tragedy lately. Even just this weekend, another loss of a dear woman I had been lifting up in prayer for over a year. She lost her fight with her fourth round of Ovarian Cancer. This is a woman who used to show up for chemo treatments in costume to cheer up the other patients…think big gorilla suit with a sign saying “we ain’t monkey-ing around with cancer!” She was one in a million.

My thoughts became a jumbled mess this morning as I tried to make sense of so many recent heartbreaks I have been witness to, and I told God, “I just can’t carry this much tragedy. It is too much. Too heavy. I don’t know how to handle it.”

And then I thought, how in the world does GOD handle it? I just know the stories of a handful of loved ones, and He knows every story. Every single story in the world. He literally carries the weight of the world on His shoulders. How does He bear it?

And so I asked Him.

“How do you carry it all, God?”

“Katie,” he said, “when you’re carrying something so precious, and so very, very heavy, you must do so with great gentleness."

As I turned down the last path to head back toward my office I thought about all the moving days I’ve had – boxes of books and heavy furniture to lift. I was reminded how gently you must lift such things…especially if they are items you care about. It actually takes great strength to lift something so gently.

I thought about all the times I felt my strength failing me, and the times when I would have given anything for moving day to be over so that I could put down my heavy load. But as anyone who has moved knows, you must keep lifting until you get everything moved over to your new home.

Perhaps, then, God is the best “moving man” of all. God is gently holding on to all of our stories with unimaginable strength. Regardless of the weight, he carries us…gently…because we are too precious to leave behind or risk damaging…and He won't put down His heavy load until He gets everyone moved to the new home.

Thanks God.

And the hymn continues on…

When my feeble life is o’er, time for me will be no more;

Guide me gently, safely o’er to thy kingdom shore, to thy shore.