FIRST GLIMPSE: Downsizing

I parked myself on the floor in a nest of packing peanuts as I struggled to replace the pedestal on our flat screen television. As I worked, I couldn’t help but shake my head at the growing towers of boxes around me. “Where in the world are we going to put all of this?”

After eight years in a “dream home,” my family and I made the decision to downsize, and we purchased a smaller house closer to work. Six days later, we inked a contract on our current home, and the grand exodus began. Romantic notions of reduction quickly collided with reality as we reckoned with a third less square footage. One day into the move, I found myself overwhelmed, frustrated, and fuming...and we hadn’t even started to load “the big truck.”

Perhaps that is why I didn’t react well when my wife walked into the room and pointed out I had installed the television stand backwards. After a brief moment of bickering, she joined me on the floor. We simply sat in silence, eyeing boxes skeptically and wondering what to do next. At that moment, a friendly face peeked around the edge of the back door. “Know anybody who could use some donuts, coffee, and a strong back?”

He had no idea.

Jon grabbed his tools, and we went to work. Together, we had the television repaired in minutes and turned our attention to packing, loading, and moving. As we worked, other friendly faces began to appear—coworkers, pastor, church friends, and family members. The desperate team of two turned into an army of ten…then 12. The house became a flurry of activity as we loaded and unloaded our lives into a new location.

The frustration dissolved into fun—at least as fun as moving can be. We laughed, joked, and even took a long break for pizza. A day later, the hard part was over. The Thomsen family had been relocated, with beds set up and dishes in the cupboards.

Throughout the move, my mind kept returning to Romans 12:9-13, where Paul urged the Romans to love sincerely, be devoted to one another, honor others above ourselves, be patient in difficulty, and share with other believers through good times and bad. As I watched my friends turn red-faced, with muscles bulging, sweat rolling, and veins popping, I realized I was watching God’s family in action. And I was grateful.

Jon, Donnie, Sam, Terri, Jamie, Jake, Beth, Barney, Barry, Tanya, and Catherine—thanks for being God’s hands and feet (not to mention strong backs, skinned knuckles, and serious sweat) to the Thomsen family. I pray your kindness will be returned a hundred times over. But, seriously, I hope no one else plans to move any time soon.

Eric K. Thomsen is managing editor of ONE Magazine. Contact him at editor@nafwb.org.