The New York Times recently reported that in “a large study of adults in Denmark . . . [researchers] found something they had not expected: Adults who moved frequently in childhood have significantly more risk of suffering from depression than their counterparts who stayed put in a community.”

I could have told them that. By the time I graduated from high school, I had moved twenty times. Twenty moves in 18 years. I rarely attended the same school for more than one school year, and often attended two different schools within the same year. 

Changing locations frequently was one of the most difficult aspects of my childhood story. In fact, when I first read the article’s headline, “Moving in Childhood Contributes to Depression, Study Finds” (Ellen Barry, July 17, 2024), I had to put my head in my arms and weep. Not out of sadness but with such profound gratitude. You see, there’s a story of God’s grace here. And I am so grateful to be able to share it.