Small Things

“It’s dailyness as much as greatness that demands courage today.”

Loren Thornburg

Life is full of small things. The routine of each day can feel monotonous and boring. Yet meals on the table, cleaning clothes, cleaning dishes, going to work, and so on is all a part of life. Often we long for something of greatness, something bigger than these small things that we do every day. We admire and revere those doing “big things” deeming them as the courageous ones...and they are. However it takes much courage to do the small things too. Many great things have been accomplished by small things. A child raised to maturity is a great thing and that which our work produces day after day can be a great thing. But, the greatest of all may be the great thing that happens in us in our willingness to do the small things. What if we saw our courage and that which is happening in dailyness? Then, we might even find joy and greatness in our small things.

“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands shall also finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things?”

Zechariah 4:9-10

The temple rebuilding has been a long process and with no signs of finishing in sight. It seems hopeless. Then enters the encouragement that what seems small is not as small as it appears now. God is a finisher and a resourceful God. He is using the small things to further His purpose and His plans. Powerful things have taken place in us, as God’s people, in seasons of small things. Even more, they have been essential in preparation. So they are not days to despise but days to enjoy knowing they are important to the Lord. That which looks small to us is significant in God’s eyes. What if we saw today as God sees it? May we find courage to see our small things as God does...days of purpose.

More than this Moment

“It’s about more than right now, it’s about more than today.

This season is shaping you and preparing the way.”

Loren Thornburg

Recently I have seen how the things of before have prepared me for today, which means the things of today are preparing me for what’s next. There are some things that naturally make sense as preparation for the next. High school prepares you for college, college prepares you for a job and a job prepares you for the next. There is a natural sequence to those things. Yet, there are other things that are preparing us in ways less obvious. When I look at my life I can see how seasons of brokenness have prepared me to relate with others and how times of things going well have given me strength to walk through times that don’t go well. It’s the things I learned in my last season that I am using to walk through this season in ways I don’t always see. Sometimes I get glimpses of those things and those glimpses encourage me for right now. For I know that right now is not just about right now, but it is preparing me for what comes next. So know that this moment is bigger than this moment...it’s preparing you for the moments to come.

“...I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”

Philippians 3:13 NLT

God is never finished with us. He is always making and molding us to be more like Him. He doesn’t look at our past and disqualify us for opportunities to come, but instead He takes our past and redeems it as part of preparation for the plans He has for us. He is using this season He has you in right now. It’s not just about this struggle or this celebration, but it’s about trusting Him with it now because He is also using it for what lies ahead. He is not done with you. He has more. Part of the more includes what is happening today. No matter how small the things of today seem they are bigger than they might first appear because they are preparing the way for the next step on the journey He has for you. God is never not using this moment to prepare you for more.

Party through the Process

“Change is a constant so let us constantly enjoy.”

Loren Thornburg

Moving is a process. For me it has become a 6 month and still going process with no signs of completion any time soon. In the midst of packing boxes and wondering when I would ever be done “transitioning” I realized I never will. I don’t mean I will be moving for the rest of my life, although at times it can feel that way. I mean throughout all of our lives we are constantly transitioning. We are always in the middle of some sort of process. Whether it’s new classes, new friends, new schools, new job, new responsibilities, new relationships, or the loss of any of those things and more. Life is constantly changing. Seeing this in the midst of my move I was reminded of something more profound than the fact that things are always changing...I can enjoy them “while” they are changing. I don’t have to wait until things are settled to be settled and enjoy where I am. Even more, when we invite others to join us in our process and join them in theirs we can even party through the process. Now parts of moving are hard and parts of change are hard, but there are also parts to celebrate and parts to enjoy. So when it’s time you don’t have to wait you can party now, though the process remains.

“I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

John 16:33 MSG

Jesus knew about change and transitions. He was a man on the move and on a mission. He is also a God fully aware of process. Step by step He was moving towards His destiny for our eternity. He lived a process that conquered the world so that now in our processes we really can “take heart” and be confident, assured and unshaken while we walk through things that shake us. He offers us peace not because we won’t have any difficulties but peace that will sustain us as we are in the middle of them. It starts with trusting Him. Yes, in trusting Him is how we can live deeply at peace when life isn’t peaceful. In trusting Him is how we can be settled though everything is unsettled. In trusting Him we can party through the process.