The Little Things

Lately, I have been noticing the little things in life more and more. A kind word from a friend, a note in the mail, or someone complementing my outfit...those kinds of little things can have big effects when it comes to my mood. I can be having an all around crummy day and someone can write a one sentence greeting on my Facebook page or send me a silly joke in a text and POOF! My day is better. All because of a little thing.

Little things can have big impacts. Thankfully, God sends us little things like I mentioned above to remind us that He loves and cares for us and that we have friends that love and care for us, too. But God isn't the only one that uses little things to impact our lives.

Satan is a master at taking something extremely small and using it to throw us into a tailspin. How many times have you gotten angry or upset over a little thing? Unfortunately, for me, it's far too many times.

Just like happy comments can lift my spirit, I have a tendancy to let little snide remarks ruin my day. I let other people's bad attitudes dictate the way I feel and act. I let the little things that shouldn't matter - like the fact that one person isn't happy with something I did - get in the way of me experiencing the joy God wants me to have.

Why do the little things have so much control over me? I think it's because they are so unexpected and unpredictable. You can't plan spilling coffee on your favorite shirt on the way to school. It just happens. You don't wake up in the morning hoping that someone will be mean to you. It just happens. You don't plan on losing your keys or having a bad hair day. Those things just happen. And there isn't a thing you can do about it.

What I struggle to remember is that life is not always about how I feel. When the little things get me down, I have to remember that God still loves me. When I feel unappreciated, I have to remember that God is trying to reach me humility and that He sees the work I am doing and that He is with me through my discouragement. When I don't feel pretty, I have to remember that God created me and that I am beautiful in His eyes because I am His. Life is not about the way I feel, it's about knowing God's truths.

But that can be hard to remember when the little things blow up in your face... I love the chorus from Francesca Battistelli's new song, "The Stuff":

"This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I've gotta trust that You know exactly what You're doing
It may not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use."

Right now, I choose not to let the little things overwhelm me. I choose to focus on the little things that bring me joy instead. And I choose to focus on God instead of on myself - on His purpose for the lost keys and the bad hair days and the little messes of life.

Every Second Matters

The video posted above is an AT&T commercial advertising their broadband network. At the end of the commercial, they use the tag line "every second matters."

I love the way the video is split - showing what could have happened in each instance, all depending on the timing of something small.

This video reminds me of two things: First, that every second matters and that we are responsible for the way we use our time. Second, that God works through the little things, every second of the day.

One of my favorite quotes is: "Choices, no matter how small, do matter. Your day-to-day decisions have a way of determining your destiny. The person you are becoming - situation by situation, choice by choice, decision by decision - is the person you will be forever." David Ausberger

Our lives are all hanging on one choice. One decision, one situation, one choice can change your life forever. Just like one second made a difference in the video, it can make a difference in your life.

Thankfully, we don't have to rely on AT&T to orchestrate every second of our lives. The Master of the Universe is in charge of our every second. He decides when to give us open doors. He decides when to give us those choices, decisions and situations that make such a difference in our lives.

That doesn't mean that God is just a puppeteer, sitting up in Heaven pulling our strings. He gave us minds that think and reason. He gave us each our own free will. He gives us the freedom to use our seconds as we please.

"God gave you the gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say 'thank you'?" - William Arthur

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Psalm 90:12

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10

Every second matters.

How will you use yours?