The Little Things

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Nothing seems good enough anymore. 

So much planning and preparing goes into nice gestures these days that we hardly ever do them due to the complications that are involved. I have often found myself in the struggle to amp up the shock factor in gifts, surprises, and even simple acts of kindness. It's not even good enough to get down on one knee and ask someone to marry you anymore. It has to be on the beach (Even if you live landlocked... you better get to a beach!), with a fancy, vintage, picnic complete with lighting and a videographer and photographer to catch every heart-felt word spoken, every tear shed, and every tender embrace. Yeah, I bet every guy who decided to pop the question with the idea getting down on one knee would be a grand enough stance feels pretty lousy these days. Welcome to the year 2015. We have furniture in fields and stuff. Where else would you put your living room furniture?


I am not demeaning any of these grand gestures such as a marriage proposal, because they truly are magical... I mean it felt magical the way the harps were playing and the timpani's rolled as she said "yes," in the documentary of your proposal I watched on Vimeo. :) But I won't lie... I have given a smirk at some meager attempts. It just seems that we are always trying to one up the last post on Facebook rather than seeing the impact of the little things. No, the little things may not make for a good Facebook brag (that's what I like to call them), but they make for perfect ways to spread love every single day. The saying does not go, "love isn't love until you give it all away," atop the Eiffel Tower. It says, "love is not love until you give it away," period. Little things matter.

God is most glorified when we show love for one another. So, why wait for a big occasion or grand gesture? Glorify God with little things that show great love. Write a note of encouragement. Buy a coffee for a co-worker... even better, buy it for a co-worker who drives you crazy! It may not change them, but it is guaranteed to change you. Smile at a stranger. Help a mother with kids hanging off every limb load her groceries. But beware, she may cry from her gratefulness. Bake cookies for a neighbor. Tell someone they are doing a good job. Send a smiling emoticon to a friend for goodness sakes. There are so many little things to choose from! Too many to exhaust. Too many to not use. And the little things never get old.

So go for it. Once you get started you will get addicted and everyone around will not just know they are loved, they will feel loved. The little things... they're actually really big things.