All the Small Things

"God is forming us into new people.

And the place of that formation

is in the small moments of today."

(Tish Harrison Warren)

This week I've been at home working on this space, but also enjoying some days to just slow down and remember what it's like to do the small things. Believe it or not, there was a time when staying home was the norm and not the exception. Sometimes I miss those days.

In Tish Harrison Warren's book, "Liturgy of the Ordinary", she talks about the ordinary tasks of the day and how those are the moments where God meets us. Things that feel mundane to us - cleaning, cooking, laundry, getting ready, getting kids ready - all of those tasks that we might not look forward to, but are necessary for daily living. These are places where the Lord can and does meet us, even though they feel small and insignificant.

I think, over the years of social media, we've been made to feel like the small tasks don't count; like it's all about the big, influential ideas, jobs, accounts, degrees, platforms, homes and material things. It's made the ordinary seem less-than. It's made the small moments seem unworthy of pictures or posts and quite frankly, it's made all of us normal, everyday people feel small and unimportant, at times.

That's one reason Patty and I wanted to start blogging again, because it's those small, ordinary days that other women with small, ordinary days, want to relate to. And it's those small moments when we need to know that we're not the only ones doing all the small things. It's what makes us human.

So yesterday, I decided to bake cookies. It's been raining for days and about 9:30 a.m. I just decided to do something about a chocolate chip craving I was having.

Awhile back I bought a tin of cookies, only because the container reminded me of something my grandmother would have had on her kitchen table. The cookies weren't even that great, but I kept the tin, because they reminded me of a simpler time; one where everything wasn't fancy and you used what you had, so you didn't have to spend money that you didn't need to spend.

I wanted to use that tin, because that was a "small" thing that reminded me of a time when all the small things were big things. Like all the tins that you kept for passing treats on to friends or family. Our grandparents wouldn't dare toss them in the trash.

So I baked a few batches of cookies and some went in the "looks good in the pantry" container and some went in the tin that will stay out on the table, just so I can savor the feeling of that small thing that brings back sweet memories.

Today I'll try to pay attention to the small things and the small moments that might not seem post worthy, but where I feel God's presence, nonetheless. Because the big moments aren't where the Lord meets me most of the time. It's usually when I least expect it, that I hear his sweet whisper or feel his touch, that makes me praise him the most.

Don't miss the small things today, my friends.

Until Next Time...

Blessings!