When I was a young mom with babes at home, I heard a devotional that reminded me that God sees every Cheerio I picked up off the high chair tray. It encouraged me at the time, and it stuck with me all these years. Every little crumb that I swept. He cared for me as a new mom overwhelmed with baby duties and the forever tidy up mode new moms are always in. He cared for me in that stage of life — and I know He cares for me now. Yet, I still wonder: Does God really care about the “little things”?
Hurricanes, flooding, fighting in the middle East. God has enough to deal with … why should He care about my house and whether or not the crumbs are swept? Or that test my kids have in biology class next week. Or if I get a parking space near the front. (How many times have I prayed for this?! And thanked God when I got one that I could just drive through!) Or, well, you get the picture. Am I the only one who wonders if a great big God really cares about all the little things in my life?
I have a friend who was open and honest and prayed for all kinds of little things. Her prayer list was long and included things that I just struggled with bothering God about. Those are my things to deal with… it’s just life. So you have a sniffle. You’re making mountains out of mole hills. Secretly, I suppose I envied her ultimate submission and utter dependence. I’d rather not have a prayer request than ask for such a “little thing”. But perhaps that attitude is incorrect.
You’ve heard it said that God knows every hair on our head. He knows every minute detail about us. The hows and whys of that scar on your left ankle and the freckle just above it. That fear tucked away on the far back left brain cell that only comes out at 3 o’clock in the morning when no one else is around but you and your thoughts. Isn’t this why we trust in a great big God? Isn’t it because He knows all the details that we have faith in Him? I’m beginning to prove it to myself. The little things do count.
Besides, isn’t this how we are supposed to have a personal relationship? Give and take? Talk about all the little things and fine details… like we do with our besties? Wouldn’t I share all the juicy details with my good friend? Why not God? In thinking about this post, I read an article about an obscure verse in Zachariah 4 that says: Do not despise the little things. We think our little things don’t matter. We aren’t building a giant temple. We are not saving the world through our efforts. Our measly donation will barely make a mark on the books. Still, God says He loves to see the little efforts we are making. He sees and takes care of the sparrow. He paints a sunset just for fun. He makes a tiny seed grow.
I love to watch those “a day in the life” videos. Especially if they involve homesteading and chickens. If I care to spend 2.7 minutes watching some lady in her back shed in Kentucky shovel hay to feed her donkeys, maybe others do too. Maybe my morning routine of taking care of my zoo and my crew, is just as important to God as it is to me. Maybe I need to add some of those little things to my prayer list, and have a chit chat with my friend, instead of thinking those fine details aren’t big enough. What about you, my friend? Are you struggling with daily duties that are seemingly too mundane for a great big God to care? Perhaps we both need to work on “not despising the little things”.
The Mitton crew has just returned home from a lovely vacation in our summer dwelling. It truly was lovely. Except, that about two days in, I got sunburnt. It was my own fault, really, I did not re-apply the sunblock and could feel the crispy-ness attacking my legs… but was simply too lazy to head back in to shore from the rubber dingy I was lounging in. Consequence received, I spent the next few days slightly pinked and diligently re-applying the “after sun” aloe vera gel and searching for home remedies for sunburn. Then the youngest got a sliver in her foot after dancing around barefoot on the dock. Why is a sliver always the biggest disaster to a small child? Breathe. Dig out the blessed thing, slap a Band-Aide there, and move on. Sheesh. I soon discovered that it’s the little things in life that make up your days. Much to the delight of that same little girl, we also fed pistachios to a cheeky little black squirrel who was just brave enough to come near. We watched the sun go down over the lake and marvelled at the orange and pink glows that silhouetted the trees beyond us. We giggled under the covers as we read our book late into the night. None of these things were super adventurous. We didn’t save the world or climb a mountain. There were no great 
To be honest, if you are that new mom… you have no desire to be thankful for those blasted bits of cereal… I know, I been there, sister… but now that some time has passed, I can tell you…yup…it’s true… you are thankful for the Cheerios. Psychology tells us that there are benefits to gratitude, to counting our blessings and to recognizing that seeking joy makes us healthier. (Just so you know: it’s not psychology… it’s a God thing…)
mittonmusings 