He Always Holds Up the Heavy End

By Billy Coleman

Remember when you were young and you always wanted to help your dad? Sometimes, there would be things to lift--heavy things. And while your dad would let you help him, he always made sure he carried the heavy end. God is like that. Tough times are coming. Jesus promised they would. But God is always there, and when the burden becomes more than we can bear, He always holds up the heavy end!

Written from an educator's perspective, He Always Holds Up the Heavy End encourages us to serve Christ in tough times and reminds us that the power of Jesus Christ overcomes all obstacles in our lives. It shares the accounts of real people, who have lived out the great scripture of Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" It reminds us that our greatest witness for Christ is during those trials and tribulations Jesus talked about.

He Always Holds Up the Heavy End is all about bringing the reader closer to Jesus Christ as we realize His greatest promise: "I am with you always, even to the end of the earth." And when the tough times come, He is there, always holding up the heavy end! Thanks be to God!

A very special thanks for the overwhelming prayers and support for our son Wesley who is recovering from his heart transplant on August 11, 2022. As this book is in the final stages of being published, Wesley is doing great and we give God all praise and glory. All proceeds from "He Always Holds Up the Heavy End" goes to Wesley, his wife Danielle, and two sons, Cade and Hudson. Our family has had its own private lesson on what this book is all about. And yes, it is and will always be true! HE ALWAYS HOLDS UP THE HEAVY END!!!. In life, in death, in life beyond death, we are not alone. Thanks be to God!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9798885404532

Book preview

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He Always Holds Up the Heavy End

Billy Coleman

ISBN 979-8-88540-452-5 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88540-453-2 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Billy Coleman

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

He Always Holds Up the Heavy End

Calvary's Love

Life beyond Grace

Habits of the Heart

Like Mother, Like Son

The Ministry of Friendship

Starving in Comfort

Moving toward the Sound

When Tough Times Come

Promises That Are Kept

When No One's Looking

Moving Mountains

Don't Quit

If God Can Use a Thief

Grace Extension Ministries

About the Author

Foreword

Since Billy Coleman can't personally meet everyone, this book is the next best thing. You can hear him talking these genuine experiences to which we all can relate. The title, He Always Holds Up the Heavy End , should sufficiently whet your appetite for it. Biblical and practical, the book appeals to the broadest range of readers. For anyone on the journey, it is insightful, encouraging, challenging, and nourishing. It's a book to give, to share, and to give again.

Bud and Lynda Bottcher

Alabama Emmaus Community

Former and current members

Board of Directors

*****

Like Called to Live, He Always Holds Up the Heavy End will encourage you, convict you, and give practical advice of serving Christ in difficult times and sharing that testimony with others—as a teacher and coach or wherever you are in life.

Roger Boswell

North Alabama Director

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Introduction

He Always Holds Up the Heavy End is written first and foremost to glorify God through His Son, Jesus Christ. God's greatest promise is that He's always there—in good times and in tough times. I guess I'm really not one to write about tough times. My life has been such a wonderful blessing with many channels of His grace extending into my undeserving life. But while our trials may not compare with others around the world, we all face those times when the load gets heavy. It is during those times His presence carries the heavy end of our burdens.

Family and friends are channels of His love in my life, and I praise God on how He has used them to bring me joy and to bring me strength in time of need. Christian love is like no other I have ever experienced, and my life is simply a tapestry of God's love for me through others.

I praise Him for the cross and what it means to each of us. I pray we stay in its shadow, as individuals and as a nation. It is only there where we can truly experience His grace. Our witness for Christ is simply a response to His act of love for us on the cross.

Thank you for taking the time to read He Always Holds Up the Heavy End. It is obviously written by an ordinary guy. But if we allow the Holy Spirit to use our ordinary talents, He will do extraordinary things. As He has touched my heart in writing it, I pray God will touch your heart as you read this book. It is His book—to do with as He wishes.

May God richly bless your life, and may His strength carry you from this day into eternity.

In Christ,

Billy

Chapter 1

He Always Holds Up the Heavy End

Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

—Matthew 11:28–30

He always holds up the heavy end. God's like that. I don't understand it. I don't deserve it, but He's always there. He wants to be there. And when times are tough, when trials and tragedies come, when obstacles seem insurmountable—God is with us, and He holds up the heavy end of the relationship.

When life is good, we feel so strong and able to do it ourselves. We forget Him. Why does He remember us when the hard times come? Why does He always come when we call, when we realize that we can't handle it, that we can't lift it, that we can't carry it? We can't, but He can. And He's always there. He always holds up the heavy end!

My father was a successful businessman, but he could have been a contractor. He could build anything. He could construct, wire, plumb—you name it. He had a talent for building, and in his heart, that's probably what he wanted to do. I, on the other hand, inherited none of those qualities. I was probably thirty years old before I could drive a nail into a piece of wood without killing those around me.

I remember one occasion when several of the coaches and parents decided to put a new roof on the field house. We assembled, one Saturday morning, to start the job and of course I was there, ready to go with my tool belt around my waist and a gleam in my eye. I remember several of us climbed on top to nail the decking on. I had a hard time hitting the nails square on the head, and I put some pretty serious dents in the wood when I missed. But the rough part was when I made contact with the nails! They began to scream to my right and left like missiles, taking out anything in their path. After about five minutes, I looked around to find that I was the only remaining human being on the roof. Everyone else had fled to the ground, some probably bleeding from nails gone awry! Finally, someone had enough intelligence to ask when I was coming down, and when I did, they immediately removed my weapon (called by some a hammer) from my hand and told me never to get on the roof again with the intention of nailing. I guess it kind of hurt my feelings, but it surely did help the roof get put on more quickly!

We all need to know our limitations, and everyone who knows me is aware that I was behind the door when the Lord passed out the building talents. But that did not keep me from wanting to help my dad with his projects. There were always projects going on, and as a little boy who loved helping his dad, I wanted to be a part of them. The wonderful thing was that my dad wanted me to help just as much as I wanted to. He always included me and would ask me to do things I could do. He acted as though I was really making a contribution and being a good helper.

Reality was that my dad could have probably finished much quicker without my help, but he wanted me to be involved and he knew the meaning that it brought to my life. Sometimes, he would ask me to help him move things—heavy things. One thing was always for certain—he would always put me on the light end, and he would carry the heavy end. He would make me think I was really helping, but the truth was that he was carrying all the weight. He let me feel a part of it.

As I entered my twenties and thirties, I would have my own projects, like building a barn or doing something to the house, and I made sure to include my dad on the construction. He always came, and it would be built with his perfection. But he let me help—he let me be involved. He did the tough stuff—he always carried the heavy end, but he never failed to include me.

I have thought a lot about how much God is like that. He doesn't need me. He can do it all by Himself, but He lets me be a part of it. He lets me feel as though I have a purpose. And when the trials come—and they do come—He always does the tough stuff. He always holds up the heavy end, but He lets me help. And when He lets me help, it makes all the difference in my life.

I've always been an Andy Griffin fanatic, and I use illustrations from this wonderful series, both in speaking and in writing. It's got to be one of God's favorite shows! Anyway, one particular episode revolves around an escaped convict named Eddie Blake, who was recaptured on the streets of town by the infamous deputy sheriff of Mayberry, Barney Fife. As usual for Barney, this was no ordinary capture. Barney was writing a parking ticket for Blake when a police car appeared. As the convict tried to run off, he got tangled up with Barney's feet, and they went to the ground. By the time he was able to get up, the state police apprehended Blake and carted him off in a patrol car.

Well, the story made its rounds, and soon, Barney was the toast of the town—it turned out that the deputy threw the convict to the ground with a punch, which, according to the locals, used some of that karate. Why, that guy never had a chance! As usual, Barney jumped right in, and with his notorious selective memory, he quickly became a legend in his own mind!

Problems developed when word reached Mayberry that Blake has escaped again and has vowed to get that deputy. Barney's confidence quickly turned to fear, and he reluctantly agreed to join Andy in a manhunt. Scared to death, Barney stayed on Andy's heels as they conducted their search. Andy discovered where Blake was hiding and conveniently arranged for Barney to be there in the right place at the right time for the capture. When everything was said and done, Andy made it look like Barney was the hero—again. Andy did all the work—Barney received all the glory. And that's the way Andy wanted it.

God is like that. We may think we are in control, but He is. We are simply along with Him for the ride—and what a ride it is! It's unimaginable to me that the creator of this universe—the God of the ages, the Father of mankind—wants me to be involved in His plan. He allows me to take part! I get distracted, I become afraid, the obstacles are too great, my inadequacies are too many, and yet, God lets me share in the building of His kingdom. And when the tough times come, He always holds up the heavy end!

Jesus said to his followers, My yoke is easy. My burden is light.

Easy? We think, Yeah, right. We reflect on those times in life when our faith was anything but easy—when the burden seemed so heavy that we couldn't go one more step. What's easy about being a Christian?

I think about those early disciples. What must they have felt when the lions were turned loose, when the nails were driven into their hands, when they hung on their crosses, when their skin was on fire! Easy? Light? Strange adjectives for a call that means you must carry a cross, be persecuted, and make sacrifices. On the other hand, there is something different about those early followers.

As Stephen was being stoned to death, he said, Lord, do not hold this sin against them.

Paul lay in prison—sick, beaten, and near death. He looked over at Silas and said, So far, God has not placed on me more than I can bear.

Their courage and their strength are unbelievable. Time after time, they show there is someone else in their lives besides themselves—a strength that exceeds anything they could do on their own. They are totally dependent on Christ, and therein lies the answer.

If we describe our faith during those times in our life when we are in control, then difficult, overwhelming, and impossible become the key words—when we are in control. And unfortunately for me, that is often the case. I try to carry my cross on my own, and during the good times, I can do an adequate job. The problem is that life is not all good times, and during those great tests of life, my own strength falls far short—I fail miserably.

The rich young ruler realized the futility of being in control of his faith. He had lived a good life. He had kept the commandments. He was surely a likable guy, but he had never needed to totally rely on God. After all, he had great possessions. When Jesus challenged his life with hard questions and talk of sacrifice, this young man