Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker
What Size Pizza?
My daughter, son, granddaughter and I were sitting at a pizza restaurant in Kansas City. We noticed that the menu listed the pizza sizes as S, M, L, G. We started guessing what the “G” represented, which caused an explosion of laughter as we guessed all kinds of silly things including “ginormous.” Upon further investigation, we discovered that it meant “Gigantic” and the price was $70.00. We were all hungry, but not that hungry!
The storms of life are comparable to pizzas — some are small, medium, large and some are gigantic. But whatever size storm you find yourself in, remember this: “He will not abandon me or leave me as an orphan in the storm — He will come to me” (John 14:18 TLB). If we truly entrust our storm to God, we’ll have to deliver it to Him, ring the door bell, and just walk away. Much of our faith walk consists of letting go of the things that are beyond our pay grade. There’s a rich comfort in placing our personal storms into God’s loving hands.
When I’m anxious about my own personal-pan storm, it does me good to pray for someone who’s enduring a bigger-size storm than me. We should consider the gigantic storm that Job endured. He was in the worst of the worst situations, but when he prayed for his friends, God healed him and blessed him with more than he had before the storm.
Apostle Paul experienced adversity and God encouraged him with these words: “But He said to me, My grace is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect and show themselves most effective in your weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 AMP). My father and late husband were strong men and both of them made me feel loved, cared for, and safe. Even though I’m a woman, I really appreciate the meaning of bearing the storms of life “manfully.” Since God’s grace is the believer’s strong enabler, we can do what we have to do by the strength and power that dwells in us. But we have to act on God’s Word in 2 Corinthians 12:9.
The Army has a motto, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” And God has said, “See, I have refined you, but not like silver; I have tested you in the furnace of adversity” (Isaiah 48:10 NRS). No Christ follower is going to stand in line and sign up for adversity. No one wants it, no one likes it, and everyone prefers to be excused from it. But as long as you’re alive, you’re going to have it, whether it’s S, M, L, or G because it‘s part of life on planet earth. Gospel singer songwriter Andrea Crouch composed “Through It All” in 1971 while struggling with the devastating loss of his father, mother, and brother within two years. Verse 3: “I thank God for the mountains, and I thank Him for the valleys, I thank Him for the storms He brought me through; For if I’d never had a problem I wouldn’t know that He could solve them, I’d never know what faith in God could do.”
Before it became illegal, tourists from all over the world came to Pebble Beach at Pescadero, California to collect the round beautiful stones. These stones endure relentless waves which cause them to be slammed together and ground against the cliffs. Without this adversity, they would be ugly and ordinary. God desires believers to be beautiful and extraordinary. Polish comes through trouble.
The Key: If you’re being beat up by a gigantic storm, just hold your ground and stand on God’s gigantic grace.