“It’s pizza night!”
Any Friday.
Even every Friday.
My boys never tire of those words.
A bowl of popcorn, a favorite movie, and a few square feet of mozzarella magic, and it’s going to be a great evening.
No question about it.
In a family of four boys, food is currency, and pizza is the gold standard. As the long bones lengthen and the voices grow deeper, the double batch makes way for the quadruple batch, and leftovers in the fridge are like money in the bank.
Of course, eventually, someone gets his license, or a girlfriend (or both), and suddenly an evening at home no longer registers on the social Dow Jones. But pizza night goes on for whomever happens to be home or whomever is visiting, and the leftovers pay dividends forward — with cold pizza after a basketball practice and a heart-to-heart talk about unfair coaches; cold pizza after a shift at McDonalds and a late-night discussion about where to buy the diamond; re-heated pizza for a carload of friends who “aren’t hungry” until they realize how very welcome they are.
Food can become a metaphor for abundance. Yes, your friend can stay for dinner, because we have enough — enough food, enough space in our lives, enough love to go around.
God is also in the business of letting His children know that He is enough, and His love is inexhaustible.
That’s why the apostle Paul strains His heavenly thesaurus in Ephesians 3:18,19 (NKJV) to communicate the expanse of Christ’s love for us:
How wide!
How long!
How deep!
How high!
God’s love for us passes knowledge; it is vast and complete, and yet He urges us to lean into its impossible dimensions and to rest there.
When I wonder if I can absorb another change or welcome another whirling planet into the solar system of my life, these words remind me that my ability to keep on stretching the circumference of my heart depends on my continual acceptance of the love of Christ for me. If I set my boundaries small and safe, I’m leaving room only for my own love — narrow and choosy, shallow and tentative.
Slowly, slowly I am learning that the only way to really “know the love of Christ” is to leave my heart ajar to the expanse of a bigger love.
It was standing room only the last time we all got together for a pizza night — daughter-in-love, grandboy, girlfriend, and all, but somehow in the midst of all the laughter and chaos, the pizza disappeared as usual. Slicing through the last pepperoni-and-black-olive, I smiled, because pizza night is teaching me that love comes — and it fills all the space we make for it.
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Beth Williams says
Michele,
God’s love for us passes knowledge; it is vast and complete, and yet He urges us to lean into its impossible dimensions and to rest there. Many times I find it hard to comprehend such love. It is simply amazing and makes me cry. I have even asked God why He would send His son to die for little me. Knowing this love I tend to extend it to others. Encouraging letters, e-cards, cards, meals, Etc. I want to shower this world with His love and make it known to them.
Blessings 🙂
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Beth,
You DO shower this world with His love…you make it known to me all the time 🙂
Blessings,
Bev xo
Michele Morin says
Beth, I’m blessed by the sharing of your tender heart for others — and your sensitivity to gospel truth. May it never grow old.
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Michele,
How wonderful to read your post here at (in)courage this morning!! I love the way you string words together and what a fitting analogy of God’s great love for us than…pizza. To boys, pizza is a love language lol. Thank you for this needed reminder to crack the door open and let God’s love expand me. It’s so easy to keep our hearts small and secure so that nothing will ever hurt it, but He calls us to love like Jesus did…wide, long, deep and high! I will never look at pizza the same again…may it always be reminder to me to emulate Jesus’ love for me.
Blessings sweet friend,
Bev xx
An says
Dear Bev, thank you for your words that say how easy it is to keep our hearts small and secure. After so much hurt in my life, I find my weary heart trying to do that. But the Lord is so good and gently breaks my heart to receive His tender love and expand and pour out. Thank you for reminding me to let Him “crack the door open” and be expanded. I so needed this encouragement today, dear sister.
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
An, I continually have to fight the urge to close off my heart because I get hurt so easily. When I close my heart I’m trusting in me. When I open my heart I have to fully put my trust in His hands. Praying we can open our hearts together…
B xoxo
Michele Morin says
Bev and An, you’ve said it so well. Small and safe leaves no room for God to work — to do the big things He wants to do in our hearts when we trust Him to love (and to forgive) through us.
Michele Morin says
Oh, Bev, thanks for your words of encouragement. Yes, pizza is a love language as well as being currency! And may the circumference of our love for others be a reflection of God’s multi-dimensional love for us!
An says
Oh Michele, I praise the Lord for these gentle words that speak volumes to my soul. I praise the Lord that He never gives up in His relentless love. I want to pour out all the love I can and resting in His love, knowing that He makes me worthy of that, kills so many lies. Thank you for this beautiful encouragement to receive His love to expand the heart. So needed this today 🙂 May we each know this love that never fails.
Michele Morin says
The truth that the love of God kills lies -> stunning.
I know that my heart needs regular infusions of truth to keep my thinking in line with grace and truth.
bethwillismiller says
Michele, I love this heart-warming post…I feel like I’m sitting right there in your kitchen enjoying your left-over pizza with you and your precious family! But you grabbed my heart with the metaphor for abundance…”my ability to keep on stretching the circumference of my heart depends on my continual acceptance of the love of Christ for me”…such Truth…”my continual acceptance”…the Holy Spirit’s river is continually flowing through me, but it takes “my continual acceptance” of His unconditional love for me to overflow the banks and take authority over my flesh and my emotions. Sounds like you have a scrumptious recipe for homemade pizza…may we ask for you to share it? Many blessings to you sweet friend ❤️
Michele Morin says
Yes, continually, like fresh flowing water in a stream. And yes, I’d be happy to share my recipe for pizza. The crust is made from the Calzone recipe in The Moosewood Cookbook. The sauce is nothing but my home canned tomatoes with tomato paste, basil and garlic cooked until the right consistency. From that point on, it’s up to your imagination!
Blessings, Beth.
Joanna @ Modern Ruth Project says
Thanks for sharing! I can’t wait to have my own pizza nights – definitely a tradition to institute!
Michele Morin says
So many good memories. I’m sure I’ve watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 300 times with the aroma of pizza floating through the air.
Michele Morin says
Thanks for letting me know this, Brenda. Happy Saturday to you!
Joy Lenton says
Michele, it’s lovely to see you here sharing your words. This is such a heart-warming read. I could almost smell those delicious pizzas! The growing, sharing, expansive love between you, the connections made over food, and the familiarity of family life with its sweet routines, are riches indeed. I love the way you describe the immensity of God’s love and our response to it. These lines especially: “God’s love for us passes knowledge; it is vast and complete, and yet He urges us to lean into its impossible dimensions and to rest there.” All year I’ve been hearing the call to rest more in knowing I am God’s beloved. To move the knowledge of His love from head to heart is a journey I’ve been on for many years. But I sense this is going to be a breakthrough one where walls will come down as I finally trust, allow myself to be loved and to love more freely in return. Bless you for helping that process along. Xx
Michele Morin says
Joy, I’m so happy to hear your faith-filled declaration — may it truly be a breakthrough year for you. I’m drawn continually back to the truth of Ephesians 3 and Paul’s challenge to know the unfathomable love that God lavishes on us. Thanks for reading, and thanks for your heartening words.
Intentionally Pursuing says
Beautiful picture of God’s love for us, Michele. And how when we open our hearts to His love, we have more love to pour out.
Michele Morin says
Crystal, I know from your writing that this is your experience as well. May we hold onto this truth when the enemy whispers lies of scarcity into our ears.
Michele Morin says
Rachel, I can hear the longing in your words, and am thankful (along with you) for all that God is doing by pouring His peace and rest into your dailiness. I’m right behind you in this business of “do it anyway!” They will come (sometimes). He will come (always).
Blessings to you, and thank you for your testimony of the Spirit speaking into your life — and your listening heart.
Lisa notes says
Pizza night at Michele’s—sounds delightful! Love this: “Slowly, slowly I am learning that the only way to really “know the love of Christ” is to leave my heart ajar to the expanse of a bigger love.” Thanks for sharing, Michele. I’ve got leftover pizza in my fridge for lunch; I think I’ll head that way now. 🙂
Michele Morin says
Lisa, you know very well that memorizing Scripture has the glorious outcome of finding that it oozes into our “everyday walking around life.” When I meditate on the words of Ephesians 3, I find so many ways in which God applies the truth to the daily mundane.
Enjoy your pizza!
Mary Hill says
Love how you took a regular occurrence and filled it with love and promise.
Michele Morin says
Thanks, Mary. Isn’t it just the truth that it’s in the “regular occurrences” that we find so much of God’s great and unfathomable love and see the outworking of His promises in our life?
Thanks for all the times you’ve proved this true in your writing.
Angela Howard says
I great encouragement to share the love of Jesus with the ones we love in simple ways–consistency, presence, invitation and the sense that there’s always room for an expanding table. Love it! Visiting from #sharinghisbeauty link up today.
Michele Morin says
Thanks for adding that imagery of the expanding table! Yes, the love of God, pouring through us unhindered, makes for an ever-widening circumference. Let’s trust for grace to leave Him lots of room to work!
Renee Swope says
I love this Michelle. Makes me want to start a new tradition – Pizza night at our house this summer. What a beautiful metaphor for God’s wide-open always-enough LOVE!!
Michele Morin says
When we started the tradition at our house, we really didn’t know we were starting a tradition (Isn’t that the way it always works?), but it just seems as if everyone was little and everyone wanted to help make his very own signature style pizza. They made some pretty amazing looking creations and relished every bite. I can still see in memory the little hands pushing the dough out in their pans to form the crust . . . almost round. In those early days, I believe that God was teaching me about letting go of the details, entering into the moment, celebrating effort over results. So thankful.
Blessings to you and your family!
Michele Morin says
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to sit across a table from each other and share a pizza!
The thought of it just makes me smile!
Kristi Woods says
How wide, high, deep, and long indeed. I’m learning right alongside you, Michele. And pizza night? What a good idea for gathering around the table.
Michele Morin says
I think we get to heed the call of Aslan on this one, Kristi: It’s always “further up and further in” when it comes to experiencing the love of God for us. Always more to learn, and always more to experience. Thanks so much for joining me here.
Susan says
Well now, this just may be the best thing I’ve read all week. WRITE ON, Michele!!!
Michele Morin says
Wouldn’t I just love to have you put your feet under my table for a round of pizza! Thank you for your encouragement – and for your fellowship in the gospel!
Brooke Grangård says
This is lovely, Michele. As I read more and more of your posts, I can see that you are a true teacher. You are able to take the mundane of life and use it to point others to God -just like Jesus did. Thanks for sharing!
Michele Morin says
Utterly flummoxed by your kind words, and at the same time pointing one middle-aged pointer finger toward the God who transforms all our mundane into glorious. Thanks for your encouragement!
Debbie W. Wilson says
Michele, what an amazing analogy. And God’s love never runs out. Thanks so much. I love your creativity!
Michele Morin says
So thankful for this amazing truth. Like you, I realize that if it were not for the living lessons that God splashes into my life every day from His Word . . . I really would not have much to write about. Thanks for meeting me here!
Lori Schumaker says
Hi Michele! How wonderful it is to visit you here at (in)courage! Your words so beautifully enveloped love. The love of family, the love of others … the love of Christ. May all our hearts stay open to love as He guides us! Blessings, my friend, and thank you for linking up this beautiful hope at Moments of Hope!
Hugs,
Lori
Michele Morin says
Isn’t it true that the little things we do, the unplanned moments, are the times that we find ourselves connecting with our kids and loved ones? That openness you mentioned — such a good thing to be praying for and striving for. Blessings to you also, and thanks for your encouragement in so many ways.
Bethany McIlrath says
AW Michele!! This is one of my favorite things you’ve ever written. So light-hearted but poignant and deep. Makes me so grateful that my husband has a heart for hospitable love, too. We have so found what you describe here to be true- such abundance in loving and love!! Praise the Lord!
Michele Morin says
What would we do without the hospitable husbands? I would find it so much harder to open my world to others if he were not on board with me. I guess that’s one more evidence of God’s vast and complete love that passes knowledge! Thanks, Bethany, for your kind encouragement!
Elizabeth Giertz says
I pray I, too, will leave my heart ajar for God to fill it with His love! Beautiful, Michelle! Blessings, liz
Michele Morin says
It’s so easy to slam ourselves shut, nice and safe — but cramped and small. Thanks for sending this reminder to me TODAY to leave my heart ajar and to marvel at what God does with what we give to Him.