The Connection Corner

A daily source of encouragement and inspiration to connect your heart to hope and faith.

Lift the Load Together

Galatians 6:2 – Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Some things don’t look heavy until you actually try to lift them.

That became clear one weekend when my husband and I were hanging a whiteboard in our house. Not just any whiteboard—one of those sleek, trendy glass ones that looks innocent until it’s in your hands.

We needed four screws to line up. One in each corner. Chris measured. Then measured again. He used the leveler, the stud finder, and all the right tools.

Every time, three would line up perfectly. And every time, the fourth one was just barely off—half an inch, maybe less, but enough to stop everything. It really look like he was doing everything right. But for a long stretch, he was doing it alone.

I stood nearby. Supervising. Encouraging.

I offered to help, of course, but Chris and I knew we both work very differently. Men’s brains and women’s brains. But after his fourth or fifth attempt, I offered to help again.

This time, we both grabbed it and lifted together. We lined it up together, and suddenly the screws fit. All four of them. Just like that.

We stepped back and laughed. Not because it was funny, but because it was a relief. What felt impossible alone became manageable the moment we shared the weight.

Standing there, with the whiteboard finally straight, it hit me how often life works the same way through stress, expectations, grief, and responsibility.

We measure and re-measure, telling ourselves that if we just try harder, everything will line up. But God calls us to carry each other’s burdens, because that is what love looks like in action—the kind of love Jesus modeled for us..

God designed us to need community. It isn’t a bonus feature of faith—it’s part of the design. We need each other. Some loads were never meant for one set of hands. And strength doesn’t come from proving you can handle it all by yourself.

Strength comes from letting someone lift with you. So let yourself ask for help. Let yourself be honest, and don’t miss the chance to step in when someone else is struggling under the weight.

Because when we share the load, things start to line up.

And no one has to carry it alone.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

What is something in your life right now that feels heavy or difficult to carry on your own?
Do you tend to handle struggles by yourself, or do you invite others in? Why?
Who in your life might be carrying something heavy that you could help lift?
What makes it hard for you to ask for help when you need it?
What would it look like this week to both offer help and receive help in a meaningful way?

March 27, 2026/by Bri Dunn

When Having It All Isn’t Enough

Brendan McClain, Daily Devotional

1 Timothy 6:17 — Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.

There are certain life experiences that should be mandatory. Waiting tables tops the list.

From screaming kids to screaming adults, you’re spit in the face by the entire spectrum of humanity. Truly, all tribes, tongues, and nations depend on you for a refill.

Toward the end of my time as a server, I encountered a woman I would never forget. She was an older woman wearing a T-shirt that read, “When this pandemic is over, I’m still gonna stay 6ft from some of y’all.” I laughed and asked if she meant it.

How she answered was not what I was expecting.

She shared her life with me. In her seventies, she’d lived lavishly. She had every trip, every relationship, and everything she’d ever wanted. She enjoyed food I’d never heard of and brands I could never afford like it was just normal. Her stories were electric and unbelievable.

Then her smile faded.

She told me about hosting parties — like Great Gatsby–style parties with tons of people, loud music, and endless laughter. And how, when it all ended, she was the one left alone. Standing in the silence. Cleaning up the mess.

And she became bitter.

Somewhere along the way, she stopped needing anyone—and eventually stopped leaving room for God too.

So she cut everyone off. She locked the door and said goodbye to the world around her. She became a hermit by choice.

I was baffled.

As she grabbed her to-go bag, I said, “You should come out of the house more.”

She huffed back, “And why should I do that?”

“Because God created you to be a blessing to others,” I replied.

She cut me off. “Oh honey, I know I’m blessed. But I am done.”

That was the last I ever saw of her.

How sad it is to taste everything the world has to offer and still be left cynical, dissatisfied, and alone. That’s the real tragedy. Not that she got her feelings hurt. Not that life disappointed her.

The tragedy is that she was sold a lie—and believed it. She believed pleasure could sustain her. That indulgence could satisfy her. That if she collected enough experiences, she’d finally arrive and somehow feel full.

But those who are rich in this present world are warned not to be arrogant and not to put their hope in wealth, because wealth is so uncertain. Hope is meant to rest in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

That truth doesn’t shame pleasure. It puts it in its proper place.

True satisfaction isn’t found in chasing the world’s pleasures—it comes from God, who fills our lives with real joy, wonder, and purpose that never leaves us empty.

God isn’t offering a flashy, hollow life. He offers one that’s grounded and full. He made a breathtaking planet. He wired us for wonder, and He gave us joy. Pleasure was never the problem. Putting our hope in it was.

God isn’t trying to rob your joy. He’s trying to anchor it somewhere it can last.

So hold the good things in your life with open hands. Enjoy them deeply, but don’t ask them to save you. Let your hope rest in the God who gives generously—not in gifts that eventually run out.

That kind of joy doesn’t leave you empty.

It leaves you whole.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

What are the things in your life that you tend to look to for satisfaction or fulfillment?
Have you ever achieved or experienced something you thought would satisfy you—but didn’t?
What’s the difference between enjoying God’s gifts and depending on them for your identity or happiness?
In what ways might you be placing your hope in something that isn’t meant to carry that weight?
What would it look like for you to anchor your joy more deeply in God this week?

March 26, 2026/by Brendan McClain

Your Yes Still Matters

Daily Devotional, David Hall

Matthew 5:37 — But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

I was knee deep in mulch, sweating through my shirt, working under the blistering sun, wondering why I agreed to this in the first place?

But I already knew the answer.

A few days earlier, this had been a group project. My friend’s grandpa had asked several of us to help weed out the flowerbeds on his property before Easter. The property was large, and we were only a week away. But of course we said yes.

I mean, he was a local pastor, and we were seniors in high school with not much going on. We spent most of our time at his house anyway—eating his food, swimming in his pool, treating the place like it was our second home. Helping him felt like the right thing to do.

Then a last-minute trip to Six Flags came up, so my friends packed their bags and left town. And suddenly, it was just me and the weeds.

At some point, the screen door creaked open behind me, and the pastor stepped outside and handed me a glass of water. I followed him inside, where he leaned against the counter and said something I’ve never forgotten.

“You know, back in the day, people didn’t always have contracts,” he said. “Sometimes all you had was your word. That’s why they say you’re only as good as your word.”

Then he smiled. “Son, you didn’t have to finish that job. But you did what you said you would do. Jesus calls that letting your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’”

He reached out his hand to shake mine. I remember holding eye contact with him, feeling a sense of accomplishment and pride—not just because the weeds were gone, but because something deeper had taken root.

That moment taught me more than how to finish a job. It taught me what integrity looks like when it costs you something.

That lesson has stayed with me ever since. It has followed me into my work, my relationships, and my faith—reminding me that what says the most about you is how you treat your word.

Keeping your word matters long after the moment passes—especially when no one is clapping. There will be plenty of chances to take the easier exit, to explain things away, or to back out when it costs you something.

We don’t always break our word loudly—sometimes we slowly explain our way out of it.

Remember that integrity is built in those unnoticed moments, when your yes still means yes. While the world may never see those choices, God does, and character like that doesn’t fade with time. It lasts.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

Can you think of a time when keeping your word cost you something? What did you learn from it?
Are there any commitments you’ve made recently that you’re tempted to back out of or justify your way around?
What does it look like in your daily life to let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no”?
How do small, unseen decisions shape your character over time?
Where is God inviting you to choose integrity this week—even if no one else notices?

March 25, 2026/by David Hall