It’s been a full couple of weeks. A/C repairs, a fun-filled week with my sister in town, my grandmother having surgery, changes within our business, a Fourth of July celebration, an exciting new project, a couple movies and time with good friends, and somewhere in there, Derek picked up Munchkins from Dunkin’! There’s been so much to keep us going.
In the midst of it all, I find myself looking to God for what’s next – What are You teaching us in this season, and where do we go from here? Where are You directing us? Not too long ago, I was speaking up about a lot of things, wanting so much to direct people to truth and the truth of God’s Word. That desire is still there, but for a while, there was a constant pressing on my spirit to say, share, or write something and to take action – and I did. I thought more on doing the next big thing but never felt peace in it. No, instead I was being led in a different direction: to remove myself from the noise and get quiet. To focus simply on the everyday, the task at hand, to be present, nurture relationships in real life, and be a help and support to Derek.
I think it’s natural for us to want to do big things – to make an impact and see incredible things unfold. But what if where God has you, what God is leading you to right now is something so simple and small in comparison? A home-cooked meal with Derek may seem like no big deal, but it’s where conversation happens. A listening ear requires only our attention, but it can be just the thing someone needs. Cleaning the house may feel like a chore, but it makes for a cozy and comfortable place of rest. Pulling out an old board game feels old fashioned, but it turns out to be one of the greatest joys for your family. The *small* things are actually very big things. It’s the everyday choices and habits that will shape our story. Maybe the very best thing for us and for those around us is to simply be fully present and love well the people God surrounds us with.
So while the mountaintop experiences are exciting, they’re still small to a God who is infinite in wisdom and power and authority; and sometimes, our idea of *small* is exactly what God leads us to. And if that’s where God leads us – where He is calling us to be faithful right now – we can be sure that He is with us is in the small things, too. And our obedience to what God calls us to – big or small – matters so much more than our efforts in anything that He isn’t in.
