Who Hath Despised the Day of Small Things

I have taken some time off of writing. I considered long and hard if I was invading my children's privacy, if I was ascribing things to God that weren't honorable, and if I had an ulterior motive other than sharing things I thought might be helpful to others.

In the time off I've prayed a lot about this little corner of the internet and considered my own shortcomings as a parent, friend, and child of God. While waiting for direction, I have especially this year, worked at cultivating thankfulness for the little things. Each evening, even if I haven't already noticed something through out the day, I stop and find one small thing to be thankful for - whether it's a nice breeze during my morning walk, or something endearing one of the kids did or said, or even just a pleasant school day where everyone gets through the day in good spirits with good focus.

Back last January (in 2024) when we visited Providence Primitive Baptist Church in Stringer Mississippi, we heard a sermon that has especially stuck with me from Elder Adam Green. He spoke about the day of small things. How much of our character is developed in the small things. How following God is made up of being faithful every day in the small things. He mentioned that we often want to do big things and make big gestures, but we aren't to despise the little every day things. God sees when a mother selflessly feeds and clothes her small children. It may not be big news to the world, but it matters to Him that we are faithful in the every day moments.

Zechariah 4:10   For who hath despised the day of small things?

Over the last few months while waiting for direction, I've clung to the small things. Having a good attitude about boxing up the house, for choosing to be thankful when the house sold, to try to not get impatient with the kids in the day to day headaches, these are all small things. Focusing on the blessing of getting to have these headaches, not just focusing on the negative, these are the small things. I'm still not perfect, I still need almost daily naps to function, and I still loose my temper with the kids. There are days that I don't want to be thankful. But on the whole I think I'm valuing the small things more and more as well as seeing them through.

Over all this time I've realized that I have missed writing. Even if no one else reads a word of it, I enjoy writing it and saving the memories this way. I have missed processing my thoughts, and making sense of life through writing. That even if I can't find time to post three times a week, it's better for me to set aside some time and write at least once a week. So this blog will continue to be a small place where I share our adventures and struggles. While everyone is free to think what they will of it, I'm going to enjoy it. Hopefully some of it will interest you or give you ideas to try on your own. And if it's just to say to yourself, I definitely wouldn't do it that way, that's ok too, just know that won't discourage me from sharing our story.