I’m feeling kind of small today. But that’s okay. Yesterday we heard about the plane crash in NYC, and immediately began to worry about the fact that Isaac is going to Washington D.C. this weekend for a peace conference. Last night we went to supper at the restaurant Carrie works at. A nice place. I had a salad and Jane had spinach ravioli and it was 30 bucks. But it was worth it to have such a wonderful waitress. Afterward we had Bible Study at church. A small group of ten, but some really good discussion. Probably the best since we’ve been meeting… and then the lights went out. We were without power for two hours. So Jane and I went to bed at 9:30 for the first time in as long as I can remember (although I woke up at 11 and couldn’t sleep).
In “Messy Spirituality” Yaconelli quotes Arthur Gordon: “One of the most insidious maladies of our time [is]: the tendency in most of us to observe rather than act, avoid rather than participate, not do rather than do; the tendency to give in to the sly, negative, cautionary voices that constantly counsel us to be careful, to be controlled, to be wary and prudent and hesitant and guarded in our approach of this complicated thing called living.”
I have to admit, I suffer much from thinking that my life is meaningless. So I appreciated this chapter in MS to remind me that the small things I/we do, do make a difference. Saying ‘thank you’, ‘please’, holding doors, eating meals, meeting together, going to D.C.… it matters. You matter.
Mike says on p. 109, “Spirituality is about doing the tiny work of God, little acts, small responses to God’s presence in our lives.” That’s really all this is – a small response.
He says on 110, “God knew we would naturally be dazzled by big; that’s why Jesus told the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son, the mustard seed. Jesus was trying to tell us something: the spiritual life is a tiny life, filled with little decisions, tiny steps toward God, tiny glimpses of his presence, little changes and small movings, tiny successes and imperceptible stirrings.”
Here’s to little graces. To making weekend trips, giving good service (and leaving big tips), gathering with friends, and saying “I love you” in the dark. Enjoying the small things in life. It’s like getting mustard all over everything.
Peace, friends. Yep, it’s a revolution.
2 comments:
Thanks for reminding me that it is all of the small things in life that make for such big enjoyment. It is also so nice to read your posts and smile...
Yep, Danno, your last paragraph made me smile, too :).
I'm in the middle of reading Claiborne's "The Irresistible Revolution" and the "beauty and impact of smallness" seems to be a theme here, too.
Having worked for a 1,500+ member church for years, the interest and pursuit of "numbers" ALWAYS disturbed me (jaded me...). And really, this was a GOOD church and had great positive impact in our lives. At some point it sank in though, I'd never be a part of solving "world hunger" type issues...but I could feed one (whatever "feed" might mean), and so my focus shifted...away from the masses, but engaged in the few within my "sphere of influence". A lot of the time , you don't see the result of God's presence in you touching others, but I imagine if I did, it might become self serving in a way.
The ripple effect of random (but intentional) acts of kindness and beauty...might just go on forever. Pretty cool to me.
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