In the days before mobile phones and the internet, a preacher travelled to a small town to preach a revival. Since he was going to be away for two weeks, he needed to find a post office to post an urgent letter abroad. As he entered the town, he stopped by the street and found a young boy to ask him for directions to the post office. The boy gladly directed him. Then the preacher said to the boy, “By the way, son, I am preaching this crusade, pointing to a banner across the street. If you will come and hear me, I will tell you how to get to heaven.”
The little boy, with a surprised look, replied: “I don’t think I’ll be there, sir. You don’t even know your way to the post office!” In life, little things also matter. It’s important for us to be aware of the big things in life, but we also need to be aware of the little things as well, such as “Thank You” or “I am Sorry”. What will all the “Zoology” ideas and struggles of life do to you, if you don’t know your “Archaeology”?
I don’t know why it is so, but our modern culture, faith and aspirations have cultivated a fascination for the big things and ideas. Somehow, we have come to believe that bigger is always better. A symptom of this mentality is seen on the signboard of a Church I once chanced on driving into town one evening.
Below the name of the Church was the inscription: “The biggest small Church.” This Church knows it is a small community but does not want to accept it. It thinks adding Big or Mega to its name makes it great. Yes, there are times when a large size makes possible greater accomplishments. But I believe that we misunderstand the value of size when we say that size is the only value. Admitting that you are small does not mean you have little value, because much of the world and the life that we know is made up of little things. Let small men and small enterprises take heart. Size is not the measure of strength.
We should mind little things—little courtesies in life, little matters of personal appearance, little extravagances, little minutes of wasted time, little details in our work. Nothing should be too small for you such that it cannot meet your attention. A stamp is just a little thing of very little worth, yet it will take a letter across the earth! A smile is just a little thing, but wearing it brings much happiness to others and yourself.
The first hint Newton had leading to his most important optical discoveries was derived from a child’s soap bubble. The telescope was the outcome of a boy’s amusement with two glasses in his father’s shop. Watching a spider weave its web has given unbelievable hope and courage to people who were giving up. It’s the little things that count. Little things can make a big difference. Little things matter especially when the persons who notice them have the humility and wit to correlate these little happenings into great ideas and opportunities. It is not given to all to deal directly with big things, but the one who deals with small things has a mission as important. It is in his power to bring about a wreck or a revival. This week do something out of every little opportunity, for little drops of water, makes a mighty ocean.
May your week not be weak but with Him. I send you my prayerful wishes for the week. (By Fr. Ray®acc.GH)
