President Thornburg's Reflection 2.23.25

It was moving day. I was attempting to pack up all our belongings and move them to a new place. The old house had played a vital role in raising six children, and it was hard to leave. There were two reasons. One was that there were great memories in the old farmhouse, and the other was the amount of things to be moved. Our belongings grew exponentially as our family grew larger. Boxes were carefully packed.  Room by room, we brought things out to a friend’s trailer.  I had a group of church friends brave enough to volunteer to help.  We made good progress, and by the end of the day, all the rooms had been cleared.  As we celebrated a job well done, I remembered the basement.

 

The basement had not been cleared.  I spent so much time in the bedrooms, the living room, and the kitchen, but the basement had been overlooked. It was where things were sent to be forgotten.  Also, there was an extra refrigerator and my tools.

 

My exhausted friends trickled home, not showing much interest in the basement.  I felt overwhelmed and wasn’t sure how everything would be moved. It was about this time that Joe showed up.

 

Joe was a friend from church who couldn’t help earlier. He was a big guy with a big heart and arrived ready to help.

 

I explained to him about the basement and my lack of energy. He just smiled and said we could get it done in no time.  I trudged down to the basement, following my energetic friend.

Joe’s energy matched his strength. He went back and forth from the basement carrying loads of boxes, tools, and anything else he could get his hands on.  His energy encouraged me to find some reserve energy I didn’t know existed.

 

After a couple of hours, all that was left was the refrigerator. Joe lifted the refrigerator himself and set it at the bottom of the basement stairs. He instructed me to get in front and guide it as he pushed from behind. I positioned myself as instructed. With little help from me, the refrigerator was snapped up from the ground and began rocketing up the stairs.  It was all I could do to stay ahead of it. The handrail and door jams were no match for Joe’s determination as the refrigerator careened up the narrow stairwell. The fridge was on the trailer before I knew it.

 

I read a verse from the Book of Matthew the other day that reminded me of Joe. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.

 

Jesus used this analogy to describe His relationship with us. A yoke is a wooden crosspiece fastened around the necks of two animals attached to a plow or cart.  The yoke allows the animals’ efforts to come together and accomplish work they could not do alone. Jesus invites us to take His yoke and work alongside Him. In the process, we learn that working with Him allows us to accomplish things through faith we could not do ourselves that brings us great peace.

 

When Joe arrived, I was downcast and weary from doing my work. Accepting Joe’s invitation to empty the basement and following his lead allowed me to complete a task I could never have done on my own.

 

As I remember that day with Joe and reflect on Jesus’ invitation to join His work, I wonder how many “basements” I have tried to do myself. Instead of trying to accomplish things on my own, I am going to try to do a better job waiting for Him, who has a gentle and humble heart.