Sometimes, the little things are the big things.
Have you ever seen a situation in your head, a picture, so clearly, that it's like you're watching it on a movie? That's how I'd best describe how God shows me things, sometimes.
A couple of weeks ago, I was reading the Word and all of a sudden, I saw myself. Kneeling, my arms cradled dozens and dozens of small stones. My fingers spread wide as I struggled not to drop any. One by one, I placed each stone on the ground. It took quite a while, considering the great amount of pebbles I held. Then, shortly after I'd set down the last small stone, a large and uncomfortably heavy rock filled my embrace. I didn't even have to think twice about setting it down and relieving myself of the burden, so I quickly did so. This time, emptying my arms was a one-time deal.
Sometimes, the little things are the big things. Surrendering the little things pave the way to surrendering the big things.
When God calls us to lay down the "little," that call can be just as stretching, or more so, than laying down a "Big Thing." The "little" typically involves many things, each of which become dear and precious to us in their own way, as opposed to one monolith of emotional occupation, from which God desires us to be free.
Last summer, I heard God say to me, "You’ll only need three pairs of shoes…" Not entirely sure of the meaning of this but striving to be obedient, I dutifully gave away most of my shoe wardrobe. The ones that caused my feet to hurt or ones that I rarely wore easily vacated my closet. Others, I parted with more grudgingly…or not at all. (I still have several more than three pairs of shoes.)
Looking ahead, I realize that the slightly cryptic “three pairs of shoes” message from the Lord relates to my wardrobe for this Race. When a 65-liter backpack becomes my closet for a year, “lovely and limited” will be the key.
Sometimes, the little things are the big things.
Surrendering shoes last summer, and really, the heart growth that accompanied a loosened grip on “stuff,” rids my arms of a small stone. Putting my pursuit of institutional academics on pause for at least three semesters and being completely ok with it releases another small stone from my embrace. As does transitioning my music students to other instructors. I know that trusting God to bridge spaces between my family and dear friends for the year that I’ll be gone is a multitude of small stones…
As for that Big Rock; I’m pretty sure that’s comfortable living. Not blessed living or abundant living – God richly desires us to walk in that. “Comfortable living” involves contentment with the status quo. I have to remember that, though the Lord is completely steadfast and unchanging, He daily yearns for deeper intimacy with us. Yes, daily. If I become stagnant, satisfied with the current depth of my love for my Savior, that’s the deepest I’ll ever go. A wise friend once told me that God doesn’t promise that we’ll always be in comfortable situations; that’s why He give us and calls His Holy Spirit “the Comforter.”
Sometimes, the little things are the big things. God began purging me of stagnancy by telling me I only needed three pairs of shoes. Release the little; surrender the many small things, then releasing one big thing isn’t so hard.
From my heart,
Erika Venese
