size

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The Right Size Shouldn’t Be Hard To Find

Finding the right size of something that you want to buy shouldn’t be all that complicated. Yet that is what I’m experiencing.

right size freezer

We’ve had a freezer for about 28 years. It’s one of those appliances that you put in your basement and never think about replacing. They seem to last forever. 

Sadly, however, our freezer is showing signs of its age. Ice builds up under the lid and it’s not as efficient as the new ones are. Plus it’s just the two of us at home now so we don’t need a freezer that is as big as what we needed when both our kids were around. 

I’m also concerned that my wife, Lily, will sometime reach down to the bottom (because that’s where all the food is) and accidentally fall in! 

So we are in the market for a new freezer – a more “our sized” freezer.

But it’s not as simple as purchasing a slightly smaller one. The capacities are different with every brand, and the size of the freezers are surprising us. 

We want a freezer that has an inside capacity of about ten cubic feet. 

We thought that this would be a much smaller unit overall than the freezer we have now, but it’s not. Some models have the same outside dimensions as our present one with far less capacity! 

When you shop at Costco you know that if you want a bottle of Ketchup you are going to have to buy a monster size tub of it, or a multipack that will add up to the same amount as that monster tub. 

If you don’t want that size, you go to the regular grocery store where they have small, medium and large sizes to choose from. You won’t have to buy a massive container of Ketchup to only hold a medium amount of the stuff. 

Yet when it comes to freezers, we could buy a freezer that is five cubic feet smaller than the one we presently own … and it will take up more space in our basement! 

… Maybe it’s like toilet tanks. In the 90’s they started putting a layer of foam in the tanks so that they would hold less water and reduce the amount of water used per flush, all the while keeping the toilet tank dimensions the same size.

Maybe the walls and insulation on these new freezers is really thick. Maybe there are secret compartments inside these new freezers that you could use as a safe … or hide a stash of chicken wings that you bought on the sly that you don’t want your wife to know about!

We are just looking for a smaller freezer, one that has a smaller capacity AND a smaller footprint. 

I don’t think that should be too hard to find, but, for the life of me, we haven’t found one yet.

Here’s the thing: As we go through life we have a tendency to collect baggage. Whether that baggage comes in the form of work heartaches, relationship fails, sins, hurts, injury or sickness, our life’s footprint seems to get bigger with every new chapter of our lives. God wants to relieve us of that excess. The latest, newest chapter of your life can be the leanest if you will trust Him with all the bulk you carry around. Give it up to God and find a perfect fit.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What baggage do you need to give over to God? Leave your comments and questions below.

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I Wish Clothing Sizes Were Consistent

I thought the idea behind clothing sizes was to provide a universal standard so you could easily find things that fit. 

Obviously, I was wrong in my thinking. 

It’s been over a month since my birthday and I’m finally able to wear the shirt my daughter gave me as a present. 

Getting the right size should have been easy, but obviously people have different comfort levels when considering the fit of something.

For instance, I normally take a size 8 to 8.5 shoe, but when I buy skates, I look for a size five … not because skate sizes are all messed up, but because I like to cram my foot into my skate with no space at the toe and no room for even a thin pair of socks. 

It’s just personal taste. 

I’m not talking about personal taste here, though; I’m talking about the same size in one brand not being the same as the same size of another brand. 

Are you following me? 

Some clothing companies size their clothes differently than other manufacturers. It destroys the whole concept of size and gives the customer absolutely no confidence in what size a shirt he or she should buy.

For my birthday my daughter bought me a size small shirt. But when I tried it on, it was very tight – way too tight! 

So I exchanged it at the store for a size up. The clerk at the counter had another employee go get me the same shirt in a medium. We filled out the paper work for the exchange and away I went, happy that it was all going to work out. 

When I got home, I put the shirt on to show Lily, and to my amazement it was too small as well. 

I know what you’re thinking, that I’ve gained weight and don’t want to admit that I’m getting bigger. 

On the contrary, in the last year and a half I’ve lost some weight and have had to downsize a lot of my clothes. 

Leaving the store I was confident that a medium was the right size. I had thought medium would be the right size even before I tried on the small my daughter had bought me. 

When the medium didn’t fit, I was shocked …. Me? A large? It didn’t seem right to me. 

So back to the store I went … again. This time I was taking no chances; I wanted to try the shirt on before I left the store. 

Amazingly the large fit perfectly. I hope the sizes go up to quadruple XL or a lot of people won’t be able to buy that shirt. 

There is something wrong with the clothing industry if they can’t get sizing right. An inch is an inch; a centimetre is a centimetre. Use rulers, people, and get your sizes right!

Oh, and why this all took over a month to solve is because we don’t have this particular store in Kingston. I had to travel to Toronto twice to finally get the right size.

Here’s the thing: Unlike some clothes we buy, God is consistent. He will not deal with you with different standards or in a way you can’t predict. God also knows you so well that He will fit you with a purpose, plan, and help that is perfect for you and your shape. Seek and trust Him daily for everything you will encounter.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What are you perfectly fitted for? Leave your comments below.