Lessons from a Moving Box-A spirit of peace in a time of high stress.

In 2016 my husband accepted a new position in a state eighteen hours away (by car), and we had a month to pack up and move.

It was emotional.

It was fast.

It was hard.

A month later the truck was packed, and we arrived in our new home state, but we couldn’t move in to our house yet because of paperwork with selling our former home. Thankfully we could live with my parents for a couple of weeks. 

Finally the day came, and we went from an empty and spotless house to one full of boxes in just under six hours.  Boxes were everywhere. Some were in the right rooms because dear friends had labeled them so well. Some were packed in a hurry and unlabeled, so they were all left in the garage or the small storage area in the basement. 

The first thing I looked for was my magic wand. If I found that, I know I could wave it around and all the mess would just magically disappear. As of this writing, nine years later, I still haven’t found it. 

Many new friends chipped in to get us situated, and we will always be grateful. But there comes a time when only the home owner can manage all the stuff. 

Meanwhile, in this move I became a homeschool Mom overnight. My boys were six, and I loved having this new opportunity. But that choice, like any choice, meant I said yes to one thing and no to other things. My free time was now more limited with my boys at home, which meant my unpacking time was also limited. As a result, many boxes just sat. I didn’t mind the ones in the attic; I couldn’t see those. The problem was the boxes in the quirky storage space beside the basement bonus room. The problem with that is that I had to walk through that area every day, multiple times a day. Day after day I walked by the boxes as I walked into our classroom, then as I walked up to the top floor for laundry, then back again into the classroom, then back by them again for lunch, then again after lunch…. You get the idea. 

Every time I walked by the boxes, they would talk to me. 

Some would scold, “Why haven’t you unpacked us yet?”

Others would remind me, “I’m still here…waiting!”

Others would criticize, “Why are you so disorganized? We should have been emptied by now.”

But the worst for me was, “You have too much stuff. What a waste.”

After a month or so of that, I made a choice to talk back. 

If a box scolded me, I’d think, “I’m doing what I am supposed to be doing, you can wait quietly.”

To those who would remind me again of their presence, I’d think, “I’ve scheduled you for next month, wait quietly.”

To my worst critics, I said, “My emotions don’t need to be manipulated by cardboard. I’m not disorganized or wasteful, I’ve just moved and boxes are normal. It takes time, and eventually it’ll all be organized, purged, and functional. You can wait quietly.”

As I look back on that fast and challenging move, my heart swells with gratitude for the sweet days I was given with my twin boys as we journeyed together through first grade. 

Those boxes have long since been emptied, and the new rhythms of family life have become the normal routines that we now take for granted. The critical voices of the boxes have now been replaced by the critical voices of my “to do” list.  But I remember the lessons that God taught me at that time. Recently I’ve been working on Romans 5:4-5, “We glory in tribulations also: know that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.” 

God took us through a challenging experience in which we learned much patience. My confidence or trust in God’s promises grew during that time, which strengthened my faith once again. And thus, the lessons from the moving boxes served their purpose. God is lovingly growing our faith one box at a time.

7 Lessons from a Moving Box

1. 1. Maybe you do have too much stuff—and that’s okay. Donate and be free.

   2. You can still focus on what matters most, even when tasks are calling your name.

   3. Scheduling a time to tackle what nags you helps calm your mind.

   4. Moves aren’t perfect—they’re simply hard. Give yourself time and grace.

   5. Focus on the blessings in the middle of the mess.

   6. Hold onto Scripture or a song to keep your heart steady.

   7. When you're done, pass your empty boxes — and the encouragement — along to someone else.