Looking Well

Last weekend we had the gift of viewing an exceptional sunrise. Facing east over the Atlantic, storm clouds were just on the horizon, far off to sea, as we waited. Lightning was occasionally visible in those clouds, which made for a mild light show.

The stars were clear and bright overhead where we were, but then the gentle light of the approaching sun began to alter the view. As the sun rose, the stars and clouds faded away completely.

Across the ocean, the thunder and lightning continued on. Rain kept pouring from those storm clouds. Stars continued in outer space, ready and waiting to appear again in the evening.

But,

Light obliterated darkness. A compelling power worthy of full attention pushed everything else to the background. There was a glory in view that overwhelmed circumstances.

As we watched I thought about how true this is in our lives also. What a merciful reminder each morning. We can focus on the storms or the light. We can look at the trouble or at our glorious Christ and our eternal hope in Him. The troubles won’t cease to exist, but they fade to proper importance. There is more to life than the unsettling storms.

So we do not lose heart…
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us
an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
as we look not to the things that are seen
but to the things that are unseen.
For the things that are seen are transient,
but the things that are unseen are eternal. (II Corinthians 4:16-18)

The series on moving last year lacked an element, so we’re going to fill the hole today.

It’s moving day! You have a truck or storage pod and need to get (most of) it in for transfer.

Over the years, I’ve seen the most success when only one person is actually packing in the truck. Preferably, this person thinks well spatially and methodically. One other person can help by bringing the appropriate shapes from outside the truck, on request from the packer, but everyone else can be busy toting items from the house out to the truck to be ready (or to the front door, if it’s raining…).

Just think, now you only have one person who is responsible for all the rest of these tips!

• For starters, the big, bulky things come first. Plot out where the couch and dining room table and beds need to go. You can fit boxes around them, but it generally doesn’t work well the other way.
  Note: Couches may be able to stack on end to take up less floor space.
• Heavy things on the bottom; lighter things on top. It makes sense, but there is a lot going on in the moment. Tippy stacks are dangerous.
• Big boxes on the bottom, and smaller boxes on top. Stability, once again, is key.
• Stack boxes so that the weight is resting on the edges of the box beneath, not crushing the middle of the box. Banker’s boxes and paper boxes are designed to site squarely on top of each other, edge to edge. Many totes are designed to stack inside the lids. If the box doesn’t fit with the one below it, adjust where it is sitting so that it will hold up.
• Build a wall of stuff in the front of the truck/pod to start, and fill as much space as you can to the ceiling in each section, as you keep moving to the back of the truck.
• Keep some soft things soft. Pillows in boxes just take up space. Pillows in plastic bags can be used to fill gaps inside the truck as things are packed.
• Don’t declutter old blankets until after the truck is packed. Moving blankets are great, but you don’t really know how many you’ll use until you are done.