13. The Small Things

My parents taught me from a young age to be thankful for my life, especially the little things; my precious Mum exemplified this on a daily basis. She always had a word of thanks or encouragement for people she met, whether they were a shop keeper, family member, a friend, a stranger, or a bus driver. She never took anything for granted and always carried little packets of sweets in her bag which she would give the bus driver at the end of her journeys, or to someone who looked down, just to lighten their day.

Because Mum never took the small things for granted, she was hardly ever disappointed.

In the context of dealing with disappointment, it’s really important to celebrate the small things. We all love the big, exciting breakthroughs but, in Zechariah chapter 4, Zechariah receives a message from the Lord regarding the rebuilding of the temple, telling him, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” (NLT).

Small steps may seem insignificant, and there is a tendency in the fast-paced world we live in to zoom in on the ‘big stuff’ and focus on that. However, each step in our journey, especially when you’re walking through a wilderness, is important and each victory, no matter how small, deserves to be celebrated.

Father God delights in the small things in our lives just as much as the big breakthroughs and He celebrates every right choice and brave step that we make. Each time you decide to trust Him instead of withdrawing into fear, He celebrates you; each time you are brave enough to be with other people instead of isolating yourself, He does a dance of delight, and each time you turn to Him to hear what He thinks of you instead of letting yourself be moulded by the opinions of others, He tells you how proud He is of you and how much He loves you!

I find it interesting that, just a couple of verses before this instruction not to despise the day of small things, Zechariah was told that the re-building of the temple would be “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit”. Building anything is a step-by-step process, not an instant result, and building trust and learning to dream again is no different. We can’t do anything long lasting or worthwhile in our strength or by our own ingenuity, we need Holy Spirit to help us every step of the way. 

Dealing with disappointment is all about taking the next step. Just keep walking; put one foot in front of another and deal with things as they come up, one emotion at a time, one thought at a time – one small thing at a time. That is doable! Just take one more step – you can do that! And then another... and then another.

Don’t look too far ahead.

Don’t get overwhelmed.

Just take the next step. A lot of small steps joined together can make a big distance, so don’t despise the small things. Celebrate each and every step!

Don’t Despise Your Scars 

Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Psalm 126:5-6

This psalm highlights such a beautiful promise for those who are going through tough times. The description is a bit daunting – “He who continually goes forth weeping” – and has a sense of repeatedly waiting for the promises of God which seem to be taking a very long time to manifest. However, the key phrase here is “bearing seed for sowing”; because our weeping and our tears are the very thing that Father God uses to water the seeds that we sow along the way.

Nothing gets wasted in His Kingdom – what you sow, you will reap. We sow seeds in times of hardship in what can feel like barren soil, devoid of life or promise. But those seeds are watered by the tears we shed during that time of disappointment, and they can produce a harvest of life:

“He …shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

I love that phrase – shall DOUBTLESS come again! There is NO DOUBT that, if you walk through the times of disappointment with your Father, you will reap a harvest. Life starts underground, whether it’s under the literal ground that seeds are planted in, or whether it’s ‘underground’ in the womb of a mother – that’s where life starts. What was once seeds will be sheaves – that’s how Father works. That’s why the journey is so worth it.

Don’t harden your heart, my friend. Don’t refuse to embrace the process. Cry your tears and face your fears, because your tears will water the seeds of the beautiful future that He has for you to step into.

Our scars are a testament to what we have been through. They are not something to be ashamed of or despised, they are to be treasured. Scars are a testament to life. They are a witness to the truth that we can love deeply and live fully, but that, when we get wounded, we can heal and continue to live and continue to love.

If the scar is deep, so was the love.

Scar tissue is stronger than the skin which it replaces and scars are only ugly to people who judge by outer appearance. To those who understand the beauty of going through hardship and disappointment and coming out the other side stronger and wiser, they are a trophy; a trophy which we can lay down at the feet of Jesus when we meet Him face to face.

Scars are a testament to life itself.

Don’t despise them, treasure them.

Celebrate the small things!

           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Until next time ….

Actively decide to celebrate the small victories.

Ask Holy Spirit to help you to recognise the small victories.

Each time you recognise a disappointment, each time you choose to be thankful or to let a disappointment go, celebrate that!

Nicky Heymans is an author of historical fiction who is known for drawing fresh life and inspiration out of familiar Bible stories. She would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or ask questions by scrolling down to the bottom of this page and clicking on the 'contact' link, and she will get back to you.