A new staff couple had just arrived with their U-Haul truck, moving to our area from the Southwest. And a bunch of us were there to meet them and help them move into their apartment. Our four-year-old grandson insisted on joining the moving crew. I was inside the truck, handing out items as helpers came to get some more, and no one made more trips than that youngest mover there. Now, I didn’t give him the couch to carry, or the dresser or the TV set. I gave him small boxes, small appliances, and lighter objects to carry. There’s only so much a four-year-old can handle. Or even someone who’s a lot more than four years old – like me, for example.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Never More Than You Can Carry.”

We all have some loads to carry; that’s the nature of life. And sometimes it’s so heavy that it takes everything we’ve got to keep from dropping it or caving in beneath the weight. This might be one of those seasons of heavy burdens for you. I’ve got some good news for you – news that’s contained in our word for today from the Word of God in 1 Corinthians 10:13. Here is your Heavenly Father’s promise: “God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted (or the word can also be translated “tested”) beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

Never more than you can bear. Just like that day I handed loads to my grandson for him to carry. I knew what he could handle. I wouldn’t give him more than he could carry. Neither will your Father in heaven who loves you infinitely and knows you completely. Everything that comes into your life as a child of God has to be Father-filtered first. Whether your Father sends it or allows it, no burden or temptation can come into your life unless He has first signed off on it. Will He allow burdens that take you to the limit? Yes, He will. Ask any athlete who’s ever used the weight room. The only way you can get stronger is if you have to lift something heavier than you’ve lifted before. But God knows your limit, and while He may allow you to go the edge so you can experience His power, He will never allow you to go over the edge.

Maybe you feel like Mother Teresa who is reported to have said, “I know God trusts me and He will never let me have more than I can handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me with so much.” In a very real way, God’s trust is what your burdens are all about. Look at Job. He had no idea that his motives for serving God were being challenged by Satan himself in heaven. And the devil knew he couldn’t do anything bad to Job unless God allowed him to. And God looks at his servant Job and says, “I can trust this man with a very heavy load. He will not betray me. He will not stop trusting me.” And with one tragedy after another flooding into his life, Job proves he is a man God can trust. And, in the process, he humiliates the devil who was sure he could embarrass God with Job’s betrayal.

If you’re having to carry something really heavy right now, realize that you are indeed being trusted by God with this burden. He believes you can handle it, with His unlimited power as your strength. He believes you won’t let Him down. And He knows you will emerge from this struggle stronger and more valuable than you have ever been. For Job, it meant receiving twice what he had lost during his time of testing.

Your Father loves you. Your Father knows what you can handle. He knows what He can trust you with. There’s something much bigger, something much more eternal going on here than you can possibly imagine, maybe even a contest over you between the devil and God Himself. Carry your burden faithfully, with undiminished allegiance to your Lord and daily downloading of the mighty grace of God. And as your Father hands you today’s load to carry, be sure that He knows how much you can handle, and He will never give you more than you can carry.

A WORD WITH YOU – MARCH 3, 2010

With Thanksgiving coming up I have been trying to think of THANKFULNESS.

I know that I have tons to be thankful for – but this past year has brought nothing but heartache, grief, and despair into our lives – or so it seems.

In January I was a vendor at my first BRIDAL EXPO – I had wonderful friends and family that volunteered their time with me. I met over 100 brides and booked more than a dozen weddings because of the EXPO. We also brought home our sweet puppy Schrute – who has brought more joy into our lives than I can explain.

In February we found out for the first time that we would be parents – the fear, the joy, the excitement, the anxiousness was overwhelming. We prayed for our child every day – praying the God’s will would be done in our child’s life, that our baby would be safe and know Jesus. We traveled to Florida for a dear friend’s wedding and made some new friends. My husband invested in a computer and PHOTOSHOP for me and my business – transforming my work.

In March our child was ushered into heaven – having never felt any pain, any grief, any sadness – knowing only happiness and joy and love – the love of a Father – the love of God.

In April – barden photography went full-time. At the beginning of the month, I was invited to CAREER DAY at Mansfield High School – where I met the 10th graders from the 3 local schools – handing out my business cards and getting to know my target audience.

In May – wedding season started. barden photography had 4 weddings in May!

In June – weddings continued strong with family photos thrown into the mix! My June 13th bride became a friend instead of just a client.

In July – KT & Chase were married! Jared & I had a great time at their wedding weekend extravaganza!

In August – the weddings continued and we made our annual trip to the PA REN FAIRE!

In September my sister got married and I had a wedding every weekend! The senior pictures started pouring in. KT & I started brainstorming a partnership with planning and coordinating weddings and events.

In October I had 5 weddings and a session or two or three nearly every day of the month. I met a woman who was a God appointment. KT & I started expanding. I made the decision to have a long-term goal for my business.

Thus far in November – I’ve had a session nearly every day again – with more bookings coming up! Our sweet puppy will be a year old tomorrow!

In December we are going on a cruise with J’s parents.

We are warm. We are healthy. We are in love. We are loved. We have a house. We have food. We have a relationship with Jesus – a relationship that has been tested this year – and as a result has brought us closer to Him. We know that our child is in heaven – safe – surrounded by love.

We are praying that we will be happy with whatever life brings us – with whatever God blesses us with.

We are praying for more love – more babies – and more business!

I missed my high school reunion – 10 years! My sister got married on the same evening as the reunion and even though I tried to do everything at the wedding – making the reunion wasn’t going to happen.

I can’t believe that 10 years has FLOWN by!

Ten years ago I was in Philadelphia – having a God appointment and not fully realizing why I was there until now!

When I went away to college – I had never been away from my family. Samm and I were very close and I was not doing well without her – without my mom and dad and brother. Without being in control over what they were or weren’t doing (I wrote about those control issues earlier).

I cried everyday – I called home everyday – I packed up everything and called my parents to come get me. My dad told me that if he came to get me and I quit college that he was putting me at the end of the line – Samm and Derek would get a chance first THEN I could have mine back – but I was paying back the loan they took out – and when/if I needed financial help- I was out of luck. I was FURIOUS with him – how could he do that to me? Didn’t he love me?

My mom called the school counselor – and made an appt for me – which I was NOT HAPPY about! I didn’t need counseling – I didn’t need to talk to anyone – I needed to COME HOME.

I went to the appt and continued to see her until I left that December. We talked about my fears – my control issues – my need to fix – and I learned SO MUCH about myself that semester!

I talked with my dad and we agreed that I would transfer to Mansfield in the spring – and the rest is history.

While I was in Phillie my RA Trudy befriended me. It was bittersweet to leave in December having made such a GREAT friend! We stayed in touch via email (if you know me you know that I am not a good phone person) and IM – THANK GOD FOR TECHNOLOGY! That summer she called me and wanted to know about Jesus – she had read the Left Behind series and needed to know more – and I explained to her what she needed to do – what Jesus wants ALL of us to do – and she became a sister in Christ! I knew that I was in Phillie for a reason – we needed to meet – she was my God appointment. Trudy was in my wedding and we have made it a point to visit at least once a year.

It never occured to me that yet another God appointment had been made while I was in Phillie – waiting for 10 years!

Jared and I know a girl who started college this year.

The same college I went to ten years ago.

The same major I chose ten years ago.

The same dorm hall I lived in ten years ago.

The same week I started ten years ago.

This girl called me a few weeks ago – and it was one of the most exciting, yet eeriest, moments of my life.

I felt like someone was playing a tape recording of myself exactly ten years ago back in my ear. She had the same fears, the same reservations, the same concerns that I had. Ten years ago.

We talked about the decision I had made – the fears I had in making that decision.

I decided to change my major and transfer – come home. She asked if I regretted my decision. I told her that there are times I would like to look into an alternate universe where I had chosen to stay and stick with my major – but I don’t regret it. If I hadn’t made that choice – I wouldn’t have been talking to her on the phone at that very moment. Would I be a photographer? Would I be married to Jared? Would Trudy have accepted Christ? I don’t know. I know that it would be different.

I told her that I didn’t regret that decision. I told her that she was not giving up – just changing direction. I told her that God has a plan and purpose for her life and she needs to seek Him in this decision. That He will provide for her.

We hung up and I sat shocked – still hearing my own voice in my head from ten years ago. Taking me right back to that day and that feeling and that fear. And listening to my own words that God has a plan and a purpose. And that even now – 10 years later – I am fully knowing why I was in Philadelphia – why I had a God appointment.

And how God is never late in keeping those appointments!

This was in my inbox this morning – from Aunt L – THANK YOU GOD!

Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.

Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.

Psalm 119:1-2

This was a forward sent by my dear Aunt L -

I know that God loves me from an intellectual standpoint.

I knew that He would think well of me when I did right and would somehow tolerate me when I did wrong. But somehow I couldn’t understand the unconditional love that the Bible says defines my Lord and Savior, the kind that doesn’t have strings attached, the kind that doesn’t depend on good behavior or a perfect report card.

For about a week, I prayed going to and from work. Then one particular day, I came home feeling very harried. I struggled to get the groceries in from the car and remain pleasant to my neighbor Tiffany and her 4-year-old son Jaelon, who were preparing to leave.

And then it happened.

After several trips to the house, I was finally down to my last few bags of groceries. I was heading for the door, when I heard little Jaelon ask in his gentle voice, “Can I give you a hug?”

I was flabbergasted that a child who didn’t even know my name, who had never spent time at my house, who I had passed day after day without saying “hello” wanted to hug ME. Who am I that I deserve a hug?

Despite my initial hesitancy, deep down I was thrilled. I actually couldn’t wait to get hugged! So I put my groceries down, walked over to that sweet little boy, knelt down, and received God’s wonderful blessing.

It was so simple, and yet such a pure act of love. A hug from a little child — no pretense, no hidden motives. Just a kid who saw a worried adult struggling and figured a hug would make it all better.

And he was right. I could barely fight back the tears of joy as I contemplated that brief gesture of acceptance. I quickly realized God had just answered my prayer in the most tangible and personal way.

If you need His touch, as I did, ask the Lord to show Himself to you.

And then, wait expectantly for His outstretched arms to bring you comfort, safety and provision.

I got this forward last week and just now opened it …

After having an especially emotional day – I need a hug – thanks God!