Little Things

We've all heard the saying, "It's the little things" but lately that seems to be becoming a theme in my life.  It all started two weeks ago while I was listening to a Beth Moore video for a Bible study I was participating in.  She was talking about our relationship with God and she asked, "Do you small talk with God?"  She pointed out that when we are around our closest friends, we engage in the most mundane chatter.  I cannot tell you how many times I have had a friend over for a visit that lasted several hours to a whole day and Luke will come home and say, "So, what'd you talk about?"  My answer? "Oh nothing big really, you know, we just talked about... life."

What Beth Moore was trying to point out was that the more we talk to God and listen to God and form a relationship with God, the easier it will be for us to converse with God all the time, not just in the "big" things or when we are in a "spiritual" environment like church or bible study.  We'll end up chatting it up with God in the car, while we are jogging, during our chores, at our job and on our way to bed.  He'll become a friend, a constant companion, in addition to our Lord and Savior.

Little things.  The small details that make up our life and paint the picture of our existence. When I first started this blog, we had a lot of big things going on.  We were moving, selling our house, starting seminary, leaving behind the things we knew and loved and jumping into things that were new and at times frightening.  It was easy to blog about these things.  They were big, huge, shake-em-up changes that affected so much our world and family life.

But, as Pastor Mike at our Wilmore church shared the other Sunday, I am becoming more convinced that life is not characterized by these big decisions we make every so often, but the little decisions that shape our everyday lives.  At Simply Youth, Chap Clark, our workshop leader, challenged us to examine our everyday practices and ask "why" do we do the daily things we do.  More importantly, "why" do we treat others the way we do, interact with our family the way we do, and believe the things about God the way we do.   Because all of those little things, things like saying hi to someone or hugging your child or stopping to pray with your spouse; those very little things can have very big affects on our lives, our hearts, and our community.

I have had the chance to participate in a few little things recently that turned out to be "big" things in the kingdom of God.  My last blog shared the story of a little girl who was sad to leave our childcare facility because of the blessing she received there.  But that little girl was only with us 3 hours a week.  A little thing in the span of time.  A big impact on her little heart.

The other day I was chatting with a friend on facebook and she asked me to pray for her.  I was prompted to not only tell her I'd pray but to type out a prayer right then and there.  It was a little thing that brought her to tears and made her realize she was not alone; God used those words to speak right to her heart.  A little thing used by a big God.

My afternoons lately have been filled with little cups of coffee with friends, a few of which have turned into full-on sharing sessions with prayer and tears and love and laughter.  A quick cup of coffee turning into a 2-3 hour visit.  A little cup of joe leading to a big growth in our hearts.

A hug from a child who was mad at you a second ago - little hug, big forgiveness.  A kiss from your son who is trying to get your attention - little kiss, big reminder of priorities.  A short walk with your husband after dinner to reconnect and decompress - little time, big deposit in the "love" bank.  A missed phone call from a friend because you are in class - little effort on her part, big meaning that you are not there but you are not forgotten.

Do not underestimate the little things.  Without the little things, we don't have the framework to negotiate the big things.  Never think, "It's pointless to do that, it's such a little thing."  Little things hold more power than we know.  For what may be a little thing to us could be a great BIG answer to prayer to someone else.  The little things create the foundation on which we can build lives of love and faith and community.  And, in the same token, never assume a little insult, a little word of despair, a little negative attitude can't lead to big hurts and big needs.  Little things have big power. 

When you write a blog like this, one where I'm supposed to be sharing with you the Embree family journey of faith over these four years of seminary, it is tempting for me to want to only share with you the big things.  But the fact is, we live a life of little things.  We wake up, get ready for school, pray and eat and clean and play.. most of our day is little things.  Every now and then, we have a BIG moment but for the most part, we lead a quiet life.  But maybe that is the secret... all the little things that shape us, mold us, and bind us to each other.

Take some time today and think about the little things, the "small talk" things, the quiet things that make up your life.  And give thanks... because that's the BIG thing! Or, as one songwriter put it years ago, "Count your blessings, name them one by one.  Count your many blessings, see what God has done."