Hello, My Dear Friends,
Do you remember the story we learned in elementary school about the boy who saved Holland? One day as he was playing near the dikes, he discovered water trickling through a crevice. Aware that the water would continue to flow until it became a torrent, and that his country lay below sea level, he knew that his country could be destroyed. The boy sat down by the crevice and placed his fingers in the crack, holding back the sea until help could arrive. There are a lot of lessons in that story, but among the most important is this: A detail overlooked or ignored can become a disaster.
When I’m honest with myself, I have to admit that often the things I may complain about are things that I have caused myself. In most instances my problems didn’t occur overnight. They usually developed one step at a time — a surrendered principle, a short venture across the line of conscience. I heard the story of a dog someone once owned. One day the dog discovered the thrill of chasing cars. At first he stood on the curb and barked furiously as the autos went by. Then he began to venture out into the street. He became bolder and bolder, and finally he was running the block with every car that passed. One day he was chasing a fast one. Hypnotized by the turning wheels, he failed to see the car coming in the other direction. Again, the details we overlook can become a disaster.
Think about it: the people who mean the most to us are those who remember the little things. Those who remember a birthday, who take time for a friendly phone call, or who remember the names of our children are often the important people in our lives.
Perhaps the most important thing about this principle, however, is the way in which it can change the world. A long time ago Jesus told his friends that the way to change the world was by attending to the little things. They were looking for big things to do, but Jesus said, “The way to do it is by a crust of bread to the hungry, a cup of water to the thirsty, a helping hand to someone in need” (Matthew 10:42, 25:35-40). Just help the people you meet along the way, and if enough of us do that, the world will indeed be a better place.
It works just that way. Our lives and our world are sometimes changed by massive events of great importance. But more often the change is gradual. People who give attention to the little things are usually the winners, and the world is a better place because they lived.
Don’t forget the importance of the little things,
Bruce Jones, Pastor
Imagine Church
