My granddaughter, Hope, in Princeton, BC, Canada
I'm reading a book called, "Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World," by Emily P. Freeman. It's a wonderful book on how to celebrate our smallness in the great scheme of things and to celebrate the small moments in life, because they are important.
I remember years ago, noticing that God said, "Yes," to all my small (what I considered small) prayers, but not the big ones (what I considered big).
I remember wondering why, but still grateful for all the little "yes" prayers that made my life happier. I later realized the "big" prayers kind of depended on what people did. God influences people to do things, but he doesn't force them. Also, physical healing is not always healed in this life, and some of the greatest testimonies are from those who have suffered from illness or persecution. I have to trust God about the big things. He knows what he is doing.
I started thinking about my childhood and what was important to me back then. I remember my mother's cool hand on my brow when I had a fever. I remember my grandmother putting a mustard plaster on my chest when I was sick. I remember my sister playing cut-out dolls with me and my brother playing cowboys and Indians. I remember hopscotch and jump rope. I remember a horse that was at the end of our road and how he would let me pet him on the way home from school. Small things, yet so important to me.
As an adult, I remember holding my babies, my grandchildren when they were infants, smiles from my family, Christmases and Thanksgivings, trips into nature like Jasper National Park, Monument Valley and the ocean. Seeing bears, deer, whales and other animals as we drove through the mountains. Walking in Stanley Park, smiles from strangers, watching the birds from my balcony. Small things, yet great things; the things that matter and you always remember.
Big things, or things I thought were important, were things like graduating university. I had a mental breakdown and dropped out. Having a career from that education was something I wanted after the kids were grown up. That didn't happen for two reasons. My mental problems and my daughters needed me to babysit for them. Now, I am really glad my life worked out that way. Nothing is more important than family.
Lots of money. I thought if we had lots of money we could help our children and grandchildren. I figured there was no harm in asking God for tons of money, so I did. I was wrong. After a few weeks of that, I felt something in my mind, like a rebuke, and God said, "Never pray for that again." Believe me, I haven't. All these years later, I found out why God said that. My children and grandchildren had to learn things the hard way. Money would have solved their earthly problems, but it would have been detrimental to their maturity.
Well, I have more to write about small things that are in the Bible, but I'll leave that for the next post since this is long enough! See you then.
