“Ready? Go!! Come on, lift with your legs, not with your back. A little to the left… Watch the corner… Your end needs to swing my way… WATCH YOUR FINGERS!!”
Moving a couch is a lot of work. I personally have moved many times over the years and moving the couch is oftentimes one of the most logistically challenging parts of the experience. (It ranks right up with there with “Gee, I hope I packed those fragile dishes good enough.”)
Now before I continue, it’s important to understand that I am stubborn. (Like you didn’t already know that.) But yes, I am stubborn… So whenever it came to the point in the process of moving the couch, I always thought I was bigger, badder and stronger than I really was.
In fact, I once helped my dad move my big ol’ honking couch out of my apartment after of college graduation– and severely pulled a muscle in my back.
Not fun. But I digress.
The last time we moved our huge couch was from our apt in KS to our home in GA… It was so huge the movers couldn’t figure out how to get it out of the apartment door… So they lowered it down over the balcony. True story.
Sometimes our daily lives are like moving a couch: heavy, sweaty and exhausting. And, if you are anything like me, sometimes we think we need to do it ourselves (or with very minimal help.) God calls each of us to individual fulfill a variety of purposes in our lives.
But we aren’t called to do the heavy lifting alone. (Can I get an amen?!?!)
Think to yourself for a moment about the “heavy lifting” required in your life? Perhaps it is ministry, writing, parenthood, marriage, your career, you fill in the blank. It can get overwhelming and we simply can’t do it alone.
But we aren’t SUPPOSED to do it alone. (WHEW.)
This last weekend at SheSpeaks, I attended a breakout session by Micca Campbell entitled “Fear Not.” Her entire session was entertaining and moving… However, one illustration in her message really stood out and spoke to my heart. She recalled a time that she attended one of her first bigger speaking events. She was excited to address 400 women, but as she was waiting, the hostess and pastor’s wife began to tell her about a “big name” speaker that had been there the year before.
Micca said she was terrified to speak. She ran to her hotel room, sobbing. She dropped to her knees and started praying. “Lord… If you don’t show up tonight, I have nothing to give these women!” Then her voice got very quiet and tender (Fun Fact: They call that a “Holy Hush” in the Christian women’s speakers realm) and said that God answered her plea with words that she never forgot…
Micca: “Lord… If you don’t show up tonight, I have nothing to give these women!”
God: “Well… DUH.”
Isn’t that great?!?! WELL DUH!! If God doesn’t show up to help us with whatever we are trying to accomplish for Him each day, of course we have nothing to give.
Praise Jesus we don’t have to do the heavy lifting by ourselves.
When in your life have you thought you had to “do it yourself?” How did it turn out? When have you let God help and do His thing? What was the difference? Share your experience and join the conversation below.
Personally, I am beyond thankful and relieved that I DON’T have to do any of this by myself. If I did, I would end up with much more than pulled muscles and a sore back. But instead, God’s presence in my life gives me a strong heart to press forward knowing that HE is the one that is going to shine… He’s the one that will do our heavy lifting.
Lifting with a heart of a God, not my own strength,
SGK
“God’s strong name is our help, the same God who made heaven and earth.” ~Psalm 124:8
