This week at work we had 4 classes of 3rd graders over 2 days come in for field trip tours of our ChickFilA and they were so much fun!  The kids got to see the kitchen, watch lemons being squeezed, chicken being cooked, etc.  Keith, a young guy in our kitchen, was working on Monday and he is 6’5″.  That is impressive to a lot of adults, but especially so to eight year olds, who kept saying, “He’s SO big!”  They couldn’t get over how tall he was and how easy it was for him to reach the top shelves.  Later, as our owner was showing them the ladders that we use to access the top shelves, because our shelves go floor to ceiling and are full of supplies, he explained ladder safety and showed them where we hung them.  Whereupon one little boy said, “You don’t need a ladder…you just need a Mr. Keith!”  The whole kitchen burst into laughter, and we joked about that story all day long.

There is a great spiritual lesson in this story.  When facing certain times of want or need in our spiritual walk with the Lord, we often try to use our own “ladders”.  We think if we just pray more (one rung), add some more Bible reading (another rung), attend church more (another rung), treat people better (another rung), etc, etc, we can reach new goals, or do more for Jesus, or bring to pass something that we desire.  The only problem is we are building that ladder with faulty materials – our own strength – and it is not very sturdy!  Also, like the ladder at work, ours can only do so much.  With Keith, you have movement, reaching, stretching, and thinking above and beyond what the ladder is capable of.

Guess what?  With God, we have WAY beyond also!  Our puny little efforts might get us a little way, but not far.  But with God, ALL things are possible.  Our “and yet!” God has all power, all authority, and all ability to create us, sustain us, and lift us up to newer and greater heights than we have ever been before.  Aren’t you glad that “He’s SO big”??  I am!