This past fall I was at my two boy’s football game when one of my daughters asked me, “What are we going to do about supper?” The boys were playing on a Sunday because they were in their playoffs and the clock was getting closer to 4:30 all the time. We had to be at church at 4:30 for the youth church service and worship team practice and my daughter knew I wouldn’t want to be cooking at 8:30 that night after we got home. As it got later, I started to get stressed out because I knew we wouldn’t even make it to church on time.
A few weeks earlier my oldest boy had made a bet with one of his teammate’s dads. The dad owned a pizza shop in town that made some of the largest pizzas these eyes have ever seen. The bet was if my boy scored three touchdowns in a game, he would be given a large pizza with whatever toppings he wanted. Of course, ever since the deal was struck it was all the boys would talk about. I was sure to clarify that since one of the boys was blocking for the one running, they had to split the pizza 50/50.
The game finally ended in victory around 4:20 but we would still need another 20 minutes to make it to the church. I quickly sent the boys into the restroom so they could change clothes. As I waited outside for them to finish, the dad that had made the bet walked 100 feet or so out of his way to talk to me. “So what kind of pizza do you guys like?” he asked. About this time, my oldest son came out of the restroom. “What kind of pizza do you want?” I asked him. “But I didn’t score three touchdowns. I only scored two,” he said with a confused smile on his face. “I know,” the kind man said, “but they aren’t going to leave you in long enough to score 3. I am going to give you guys two pizzas. What time do you want them ready?” I told him that we were leaving for church right then and we would be done around 8:15. “OK,” he said, “I will have them ready at 8:15.” We all sincerely thanked him and quickly left for church.
A few weeks earlier my oldest boy had made a bet with one of his teammate’s dads. The dad owned a pizza shop in town that made some of the largest pizzas these eyes have ever seen. The bet was if my boy scored three touchdowns in a game, he would be given a large pizza with whatever toppings he wanted. Of course, ever since the deal was struck it was all the boys would talk about. I was sure to clarify that since one of the boys was blocking for the one running, they had to split the pizza 50/50.
The game finally ended in victory around 4:20 but we would still need another 20 minutes to make it to the church. I quickly sent the boys into the restroom so they could change clothes. As I waited outside for them to finish, the dad that had made the bet walked 100 feet or so out of his way to talk to me. “So what kind of pizza do you guys like?” he asked. About this time, my oldest son came out of the restroom. “What kind of pizza do you want?” I asked him. “But I didn’t score three touchdowns. I only scored two,” he said with a confused smile on his face. “I know,” the kind man said, “but they aren’t going to leave you in long enough to score 3. I am going to give you guys two pizzas. What time do you want them ready?” I told him that we were leaving for church right then and we would be done around 8:15. “OK,” he said, “I will have them ready at 8:15.” We all sincerely thanked him and quickly left for church.
MMMMM I APOLOGIZE IF YOU ARE HUNGRY!
After church, I went into the pizza shop and told the man behind the counter that the owner said there would be two pizzas ready for us when we came in. He turned around, wrapped his arms around the two mammoth boxes, and then handed them to me with a smile. The boys were full of joy, laughing and talking the whole way home as the two pizza boxes filled the passenger seat, and the smell of melted mozzarella filled the air.
The kids ate until they were stuffed and we ended up eating on that pizza for the next two nights. We were in need, and God had provided. To make the story even more special, my wife had left Sunday morning for a mini trip with some friends. Because of this generous gift, and because the man gave us 2 pizzas instead of 1, I never had to cook supper the whole time she was gone.
God is always at work. He is always speaking to our hearts. Too often we have too much going on in our minds to hear what is being spoken in our hearts. There is nothing wrong with working hard and it’s essential that we work hard for God. But being extra busy to squeeze out a little more money or a little more fun in life is wrong. Worldly busyness is an antagonist to Godliness.
Do you think it was just dumb luck that the man changed his gift from 1 pizza to 2? Do you think it was just a random day ‘he’ decided to give so generously? Whether he knew it or not, God spoke to him and he listened. God is speaking to you. Are you too busy to hear Him? Will you sacrifice ‘play’ time to have more God time?
The kids ate until they were stuffed and we ended up eating on that pizza for the next two nights. We were in need, and God had provided. To make the story even more special, my wife had left Sunday morning for a mini trip with some friends. Because of this generous gift, and because the man gave us 2 pizzas instead of 1, I never had to cook supper the whole time she was gone.
God is always at work. He is always speaking to our hearts. Too often we have too much going on in our minds to hear what is being spoken in our hearts. There is nothing wrong with working hard and it’s essential that we work hard for God. But being extra busy to squeeze out a little more money or a little more fun in life is wrong. Worldly busyness is an antagonist to Godliness.
Do you think it was just dumb luck that the man changed his gift from 1 pizza to 2? Do you think it was just a random day ‘he’ decided to give so generously? Whether he knew it or not, God spoke to him and he listened. God is speaking to you. Are you too busy to hear Him? Will you sacrifice ‘play’ time to have more God time?
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