Little Things

When I was a kid, my daddy had a firm rule that if you got up to go tinkle in the middle of the night, you better turn on a light.  He knew that a burgler wouldn’t turn on a light.  So, that was his litmus test for who to shoot if there was a bump in the night. That sounds a bit scary, but it was the 70’s and we lived in the south.  We had fear but it was of our parents and for the Lord.

Now, in this Jetson’s day in which we live, we all use our phone flashlights for our middle of the night potty visits to keep from waking the whole house. We are not abiding by Daddy’s rule these days. We use one small beam to keep from breaking a toe rounding the corner of the bed.

Last night, while at the 10th Avenue North/Mercy Me concert, I was reminded that if only one person shines one small beam of light it could be lost in the darkness of a large space.  However, if we all shine our lights together, they can quickly illuminate the darkest of spaces.  When asked to turn on our phone flashlights, maybe a third to half of the attendees participated.  Little things can produce large results.  This otherwise dark arena was shining with light.  Oh what would it have been if everyone participated!

The Lord has provided us with his Word to teach of his light. Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

“This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine…..let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”

Those little lights illuminating the arena in the early part of the evening, served as a reminder to open up my heart more as the worship continued.  It’s so easy to loose your light in this ever darkening world.  It’s easy to give up.  But, God.  But, God uses seemingly small things to move our hearts.  Watching Christians lift Holy hands to Heaven in worship lifted my heavy heart. 

The universal sign of surrender is to lift your hands in the air.  When we lift our hands in praise to the Father, we are surrending to Him all that hurts us, burdens us and the sins that bind us.   1 Timothy 2:8 “Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.”

What a blessing to see him at work in all those around me.  Little things like phone flashlights and raised hands created a visual for what Heaven must look and sound like.

We are surrounded by little things that mean so much.  The sound of a child laughing, a grandmother humming while she cooks, the bubbling of soup on a cold day, these are the little things that God has given to keep our hearts and souls lifted when the days are dark.  “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds” (Psalms 9:1).  “So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift my hands.” (Psalms 63:4)

Shine your light.  Lift your hands.  Praise the Lord!

Beth