May is a tough month for educators. During the past four days two of our faculty members have lost very close family members.

I have been reminded about the mile long train.

The Story of the Mile Long Train
If you see a mile long train plugging along in my flat hometown of Camilla, Georgia, you will see one engine pulling at least a mile (or two of cars). There is no strain, no tug, just an easy little putting along kind of ride.

I was reading about a man who observed a mile long train in the mountains of Colorado. When he came upon the train, he noticed two engines pushing with all they had and sounding as if they would give out any moment from the strain! Then, as he moved past the train, at the front of the train, there were five engines pulling the train, also sounding like they were going to collapse from the effort.

That is the difference between pulling a train through flat, level plains and through rugged, steep mountains. Same train, much different effort.

During the easy times of life, it doesn’t seem to take much effort. Things seem to happen effortlessly and easily. But then, difficulties arise, sickness, problems, even the pallid face of death — then you face mountains and it is more than you can bear.

That is when you let others come up under you and help bear your burdens. That is when you share the load. That is also when you count upon the supernatural efforts of God himself.

You push all you can do and make all the effort you can make, and God is the one who holds it together and multiplies your effort. He is the one who keeps you going.

Isaiah 40:30-32
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

JW Fanning, the driving force behind the founding of the Leadership Georgia program often said,

“If you see a turtle on a fencepost, you know somebody put him there.”

You see sometimes, there are simply things we cannot do. Our fencepost cannot be climbed! There are burdens too much for us to bear and struggles too great.

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7

Truly, our God cares for us. He understands the groanings we cannot utter. He hears the worries that are too deep to put into Words. What an incredible God we have who loves us like we are and helps us shoulder our burdens!