Since we will be moving this month, I thought it would be fitting to recall a couple of stories from moves past. Relocating can be a stressful experience, especially when you move yourself. I earnestly believe that these events demonstrate how the Lord has cared for us in miraculous ways.

The first story is about our move from Arkansas to Indiana. My wife and I had been married for about 18 months and we were living in a one-bedroom apartment. Because we did not own a lot of furniture and other large items, I reserved the smallest truck that was available. Unfortunately, I had underestimated our ability to store a lot of stuff in a small space and did not carefully consider the additional belongings that we kept in a storage unit. I felt the first pangs of anxiety on the day before our move, when the storage unit had been emptied into our apartment and the stack of boxes reached the ceiling of our living room. I don’t think I slept well that night. The next morning, as I was getting dressed, I prayed simply: “God, please help us.” As soon as I could, I called the rental center to inquire about getting a larger truck. Before I could ask, the man who answered my call apologetically informed me that they did not have the truck that I had reserved. My heart sank. Then he continued, saying that I could take a larger truck at no extra charge. I was amazed and immediately thanked God for answering my prayer, knowing that He had made this provision long before I even thought to ask. Indeed, after we finished loading, it was clear that we could not have fit everything in the smaller truck. This was especially true with our amateur loading skills, which play prominently in our most recent relocation from Indiana to Texas.

We lived in Indiana for over five years, during which we purchased our first home and added two children to our family. All of this meant that we had acquired quite a lot of furniture and other household possessions. This time, I rented the largest truck that I could get - after all, I had already learned that lesson - and we were prepared to load the truck with help from my parents. Many of our friends graciously offered to help in various ways, but Mike, a man from our church, insisted that I allow him to help on moving day. I was grateful for his offer, but thought little about it. Thankfully, a few days before the move, we made arrangements for him to help out. I thought, “He’s a big guy, he can help with the heavy lifting.” After my Dad and I started to load the truck early in the morning, it became apparent that we did not know what we were doing. When Mike arrived, he began to undo our work and show us how to do it correctly. What I did not know then was that Mike has many years experience as a professional mover and had even operated his own company. With Mike’s help, we packed the truck from floor to ceiling and front to back with no room to spare. Without his experience we would have been left with a real disaster. The Lord knew we needed this man and he became a willing servant when he offered to lend a hand.

Well, I have certainly learned some lessons from these experiences – I would be foolish not to. For our next move I have reserved the largest truck possible and hired professional movers to load the truck. Even so, my confidence is in the Lord, not in my own wisdom. After all, I think that is the lesson He really wanted me to take to heart.