He is bigger than me.
Up until the time I was 25 I was overweight.
I began to lose what would become 60 pounds of excess weight in the fall of 2000. I was heavy when I met my husband in 1992. I was heavy when I got married in 1996.
Aside from his glowing humor (he was the funniest person I’d met up to that point and would ever meet), I loved the fact that he was tall.
At 5’8” and with extra weight on me, I was taller and just plain bigger than most boys throughout junior high and high school. I was always embarrassed of my size.
So when I met Chad when he was 18, he was all arms and legs. He was almost 6’3” and even though I was overweight, I felt small(ish) next to him. I was shorter than him and I weighed less than he did.
(Let’s just not talk about the day I delivered Naomi four years ago and the scale said 214.)
He was bigger than me and that meant something.
It meant that he could protect me. That I could sit on his lap and not crush him. That if I punched him in the arm he wouldn’t fall over. He was stronger than me. It meant that he could hold my hand and lead me somewhere. That he could pull me out of the way of a car in the parking lot. It meant that if I stepped on his toe I wouldn’t break his foot.
He could see over the heads of other people in the crowd, so I trust him to help me get out of the mob of people leaving Disneyland after the fireworks. He could reach further, stretch longer and walk faster than me – longer legs help.
Since then we’ve both lost weight and I’m still smaller than him. But the funny thing is, I only think of him as bigger than me when I need it.
“Reach the pitcher on the highest shelf, please!”
“Can you put the Christmas boxes back up in the garage cabinets?”
“Help me up, I’m exhausted.”
So much of the time I restrain God to the size I am.
I think about His solutions in terms of my own world and body. I trust Him, but only so far as he can keep my life looking like it does today.
I pray for answers that fit the finiteness of my own mind. I don’t ask Him to reach the high things in the kitchen cabinet mainly because I can’t reach them myself and I fail to trust him to see clearly over the heads of the crowd.
I know differently, but I think about God in terms of me.
But He is so much bigger than I am and is not confined to worldly fixes.
He moves quicker, sits taller and stretches further than I can think possible and His solutions to my silly problems here on earth are beyond me, taller than me, stronger than me.
He will not be crushed. He will not be broken. And He will always protect me.
God will always be bigger than me and I can’t forget that.
Hmm, I am trying to wrap my mind around these words of yours. Because of this day [and those yet to come] I am pretty sure this post of yours is a divine gift for me in this bad, bad, bad, day.
So, thank you, Sarah!
Nothing could have encouraged me more this morning than to hear (read) it said: He is bigger than me. I’ve got a bad habit of edging limits around the Limitless. This reminder was incredibly timely, Sarah. Thank you.
He IS bigger than even me. I’m a tall girl, too. I never realize how tall (5’11″) until I see myself in pictures with others. I tower over most. Even the men. And I find myself with that mentality…I can take care of myself since I’m such a big girl. You’ve put it into perspective. Thanks.
So often I pray for friends and family members to “not view God in light of their circumstances”. What I miss almost all the time is the fact I do that very thing every day. In reality, I’m not looking at God at all, but at me and my situation. What good does that do? Not only am I miserable when I do that, God has no room to accomplish His work in me and in my circumstance, the very thing I’m so fixed on changing. What I need to remember is to pray that for myself when I’m praying for others.
Praying for your week, Sarah.
Thank you:)
Great reminder Sarah and I so appreciate the analogies you use and can relate to the ‘bigger’ hubby. As a tall girl, it’s one of the things that attracted me to him – that and his amazing heart. <3
"I pray for answers that fit the finiteness of my own mind. I don’t ask Him to reach the high things in the kitchen cabinet mainly because I can’t reach them myself and I fail to trust him to see clearly over the heads of the crowd.
I know differently, but I think about God in terms of me.
But He is so much bigger than I am and is not confined to worldly fixes."
Lately, I have needed a reminder that God is bigger than me and MY plans & wants… He knows what we need before we ask it.
Always has. Always will.
Thanks again!
I can so relate to almost all of your posts and this one could have been written by me…Thank you for articulating your thoughts and feelings so much better than I can.
I love this! Thank you!
Thank you
My favorite line “But He is so much bigger than I am and not confined to wordly fixes”. What a wonderful truth that encourages me today. Thank you, again.
Anita
What an encouraging message and great reminder of God’s power! Thanks. I needed it today.
So good… so very good.
just what i needed today, sarah. thank you.
Aahh, just right words, just right like the baby bear’s porridge.
SO good Sarah! May always feel the “need” for Him, for everything! Keeps us humble and looking up, to our Father.
Love,
Traci
“He will not be crushed. He will not be broken. And He will always protect me.”
That is beautiful Sarah. Just beautiful.
I’m so glad that God is bigger. I’m so glad that I can hide in his refuge and under the shadow of his bright wings. You are right… we can’t forget that!
Verse for today:
Isaiah 65:24
Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.
…one of my favorites ^
Beautiful. Thank you.
Oh, girl, I needed this – needed, needed, needed – this today. Thank you. I love your heart.
This was precious, Sarah! I totally feel your weight struggles and victories.
xoxo
Crazy – I never knew that anyone else felt exactly like me before! This wasa life changer to realize this about God.