The Glory of Little Things
by Ted Slater on 04/16/2009 at 5:22 PM
I used to think of my Christian walk like this: In some metaphorical sense I was creating a tapestry with my life, each day contributing a bit more to it. And at the end of my days, these threads of my life would become a gift to the Lord, the simple daily acts of kindness and obedience that I had weaved together made beautiful by Christ.
Today I was thinking about this again, after reading tomorrow's featured Boundless article, "The Glory of Little Things," by Jason Boyett. And another metaphor came to mind: My Christian walk is like a gradually growing financial investment, something to which I contribute a bit every day; it's not like winning the lottery or being given a windfall. In other words, the richness of life, its real value and significance, is found in engaging small everyday things, not in the flash-in-the-pan grandiosities.
Clearly my metaphors are lacking. So here's my proposal: Head over to the Webzine, read the article, and then share your own metaphor below. You could even share, like, a simile if you're so inspired.
1. Keith said the following at 5:49 PM on Apr 16:
You are so right: It is the little things, accumulated day by day which matter.
So often it can be frustrating to see a (perceived) lack of growth, especially in both career and character development. At times it appears that one's career has suffered from stunted growth. It feels even worse when it comes to character. When one sees great leaders in the church and desires to be like them, but looks in the mirror and sees something very different - that can be frustrating. Thanks for reminding us that growth usually happens in small amounts, and that we have to DAILY take up our cross to follow Christ.
2. Yvetta said the following at 6:27 PM on Apr 16:
I see my christian walk as a dance. I'm dancing with the Lord. He first invited me to dance with Him, and I accepted. Now my role is to follow him. The beautiful thing is that he knows what he's doing so I can trust him no matter what he asks me to do. And in following him I don't lose my individuality, but rather my own personality and my own style is set in the context of his grace and his direction. Oh how I love to dance!
3. Rachael said the following at 9:13 PM on Apr 16:
I like the imagery in the Bible of the race. And a mist/vapor. Those metaphors aren't my 'own', just ones that are kinda neat.
It can be nice when someone notices a 'little thing' that one may have forgotten or at least not actively remembered. The giver's 'little things' just might be the recepient's 'medium' or 'big' things.
As for the article. I was reminded of this woman in a group I walk with...she frequently or always carries a plastic bag to pick up trash. Cool huh? It's not dog feces, but still I think it's cool.
4. Rachael said the following at 9:23 PM on Apr 16:
P.S. About simple pleasures...different from simple acts of kindness, but still:
I absolutely rarely e-mail a particular friend now, but, she and I close our e-mails with a simple little life pleasure.
Examples (not necessarily ones we've done):
bubbles, (your name)
milkshakes, (your name)
snow, (your name)
It's kind-of fun.
5. brx said the following at 11:58 PM on Apr 16:
Re: Yvetta [#2],
You wouldn't perchance be a west-coast swing dancer now would you? Your comment reminded me there is lots of freedom in wcs for the lady to play and add her unique styling (if the lead knows how to let her). There's also many ways she can hijack the dance move too!
Yep, I whole heartedly agree, our walk with God is more like being led in a holy dance, through circumstance.
Also, I've come to believe that doing good lead/follow dancing is great training for healthy relationships! It helps develop good relating skills.
Grace, peace & swing! Two-step too!
6. brx said the following at 12:10 AM on Apr 17:
Re: Ted,
My Christian walk is like a gradually growing financial investment...
As long as we don't start expecting it to work like a miracle of compound interest! - Or, that we have more in the bank and therefore more value than someone else.
Nah, it's more like a bottomless trust-fund or endowment that's meant to be shared and spent on others.
Or, like Brewster's Millions where if you can spend what you've got to bless others, you'll receive much more! (but in that movie, Richard Prior just had to spend it, not necessarily bless anyone with it)
Grace, peace & adventure in wise spending!
7. Sarah P. said the following at 7:35 AM on Apr 17:
Personally, I don't like the analogy of a tapestry that I am weaving. I don't like it because, if I mess up, that implies that I can tear it all apart and have nothing to hand in.
I like the analogy of a soldier reporting for duty each day. Any good I do is simply my requisite duty, and I leave all the good and bad of the previous day behind me as I enter the next. No baggage; simply, striving for the best my current day has to offer.
I want to learn to see my life as God sees it, so that the "big" and "little" things are of equal merit. I need to turn in solid days of work at my job, before I start looking for more.
8. Maria said the following at 7:45 AM on Apr 17:
I just read the article. Excellent. And such a lesson that I need to learn. Reminds me of the line from the old Wayne Watson song (this is digging up an oldie here) "I'd rather follow wherever He leads me, than to go where none before me have gone."
Why is this so tough for me? I want significance. I want big. But I love what was pointed out about how Jesus talked of planting seeds (small things).
As for metaphors and similies...I'm afraid I have none.
9. Kate said the following at 9:04 AM on Apr 17:
That's a great article and important message!
Once a professor I had said, "the speed of change seems glacial." She was talking about working in public policy but I think this idea would apply to personal life too.
10. Kevin said the following at 12:47 PM on Apr 17:
Oph, that picture looks like a kidney stone.
11. Rachael said the following at 8:00 PM on Apr 17:
I wrote a poem today and used the imagery of a ladder in it. Ladder light.
There were various inspirations including Scripture and perhaps including a MLK Jr. quote I saw on a friend's facebook status - "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."
Anyway, to me it's like if you look at the top of the ladder you see blinding light -- which can be associated with the fear of God (in this poem)...that's blinding, but, the ladder, which refracts the light, is our intercessor, Jesus.
Then, face to face, but now, ladder light.
12. Sarah P. said the following at 7:41 AM on Apr 20:
Kate (#9): Once a professor I had said, "the speed of change seems glacial." She was talking about working in public policy but I think this idea would apply to personal life too.
Agreed! In the middle of personal struggle, I was meditating on the verse that says that we can move mountains if we have faith like a mustard seed. I was wrestling with God and asking the "why" question, when it suddenly occurred to me that the verse says nothing about how fast the mountains will move. That's why it needs faith -- because we can't see the movement in process, and yet we believe it's happening!
Kevin (#10): hahahaha! So true. When I first saw it, I did an automatic glance-away, and then I looked back. I tried it on a co-worker, and he yelped and shielded his eyes. It is an odd effect.
13. Marcus said the following at 1:11 PM on Apr 20:
Sometimes we get things backwards, and find ourselves calling things little because they don't seem to have any meaning or significance in our own lives.
We see in Matthew 10:42 “And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” A seemingly insignificant act is referenced with reward that we know to be beyond measure!
And then later on in Matthew 25 (too big to post) we see Jesus making a similar statement. "Little things", a cup of water, a plate of food, a visit to a sick person. This is the work of Christ!
In Matthew 7:22, “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
Many mighty works! But no! It's not that, it isn't what we perceive as great, but what we perceive as small, that furthers the kingdom, because as men our perception often fails to see beyond our own walls.
That man you gave a cup of water, had asked God for that cup, and it changed his life. That homeless woman you gave a bowl of soup may have lived her life without love, and you demonstrate it to her, in the name of God. The man in prison is shunned by the world, but not forgotten by Our Father, and you let him know!
Don't ever think of these things as little, because these are the "Great Works" in your life!
14. Autum said the following at 3:39 PM on Apr 20:
I've thought of my walk before as a book. There are some chapters I'm glad to leave behind and I'm grateful that pages can be turned and freshly written upon. God is developing my character throughout and intermingled are the stories of other people. I don't know then ending, but God does. As much as I want to wrestle the pen from him sometimes, the story flows the smoothest when I surrender the pen to him.
15. Rachael said the following at 9:48 PM on Apr 21:
Autum, awesome metaphor!