Pizza Dough

PIZZA DOUGH

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

I have just spent some time being stretched. Every part of what I think I am about has been pulled like pizza dough. And when I thought the stretching was done someone had to add some sauce, cheese, and various other ingredients that make no sense putting on pizza. There is a pizza place in my area that makes pizza with eggs, potatoes and asparagus. These ingredients should not and do not belong on pizza. And to top this all off I have been wondering and praying for someone who turned back to his own vomit and is being detained over it. Even as I write this I shake and scratch my head. (heavy sigh!)

The past week was full of deadlines barely made and equipment failure. And because we live in an America that seems to have gone from "good old fashioned craftsmanship" to a McDonalds " Two all beef patties, special sauce ,lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun in under thirty seconds" mentality, some things just were not as good in quality as they should have been. And I heard about it. Actually I am still hearing about today. Oh well!!

I also spent my evenings helping out with Vacation Bible School at our church. Very hard to shine a light let alone show the face of Christ. But I did what I did through Christ who gave me the strength to bear it. I pray that the children who attended were fertile soil. I had a blessed weekend. But then came another Monday morning. The battle waged on and it seemed to have picked up right where it left off. But I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!!

Lately I have been reading the writings of Fenelon and I came across this passage from "Spiritual Letters". It is letter number three. "I cannot but wonder at the virtue that lies in suffering-we are worth nothing without the cross. I tremble and am in an agony while it lasts, and all my conviction of its remedial effects vanish under the pain. But when it is over, I look back at it with admiration, and am ashamed that I bore it so poorly. This experience of my foolishness is a deep lesson of wisdom to me."

So what lesson am I learning from all this "stretching"? That as a child of the Most High who do I think I am to complain about what ingredients He puts on my slice of pizza? Yes Brothers I forgot to mention the major amount of complaining I was doing. The weight at times had become unbearable...but I kept looking towards the cross and tried to shut my mouth. I am still trying. What about you? Are you bearing weight? He will take it from and give you rest!! -- Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy

God's WORD for YOU: Job 25-27; Acts 12

Think about this: "God wants to cultivate within us the adoration and admiration of which HE is worthy. He wants us to be ASTONISHED at the inconceivable elevation and magnitude of Almighty God." -- A. W. Tozer