Despising a Day of Small Things

This blog is really about waiting. -Waiting during the in-between times of life when nothing huge or exciting is happening or waiting for bad stuff to stop happening or just waiting for direction.
Lots of little things in life continue as I wait. They can seem so menial. The day is filled with laundry, house work, grocery shopping, exercise, running kids to and from events...
Where is the glamor I envisioned in my youth?

So I got the blues. You ever had the blues? I looked at my little life today and just felt a bit sad.

Here I keep asking God to use me for His plan in the world.
And staring at me is the laundry basket.
The hamster needing the cage cleaned.
The dust on the ceiling fan needing to be wiped.
The dishes to be emptied.

Sigh.

So I trudged over to my Bible. As I flipped through to find Beth Moore's reference, my eye fell on a book I never read, Zechariah. More specifially, Zechariah 4.
Ah, I thought, there is the source of the verse I heard so often, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the Lord Almighty.
Not a verse I often think about, but just as I started to flip the page, my eye fell on another verse, one with which I was NOT familiar.

"Who despises the day of small things?"

Hmmmm. That hit me. What was this about? As I looked in the concordance or reference, I found the older people were disheartened when they realized the building of the new temple would not match the size of the temple from King Solomon's reign.

God told them that HE was NOT concerned with the greatness of the temple. His focus was upon relationships and restoration with His people.

You would think that would be enough to tell me to stop thinking my little life was useless for God. It appears I needed more.

I went to Bible study where I and one hundred other women listened to a young woman tell how her small life was changed with the diagnosis of breast cancer. How she struggled in trusting God with her four and two-year old daughters as the doctor gave her the prognosis and statistics for how long she might live.

As she sat in front of us with her bald head and radiant smile, she shared so many little things God used to point her and others to His glory. It was amazing.

Tears flowed freely in the room. Her honesty and her love of Jesus made me ashamed.
I am ashamed of my blues, my whining.

Yes, I still pray, "GOD USE ME!"
But I no longer mind if He chooses to use me as I fold the laundry or vacuum the carpet. I will do so praising Him for His mercy endureth forever!

"Who despises the day of small things?"

How about you? Do you have the blues because your day is filled with small things that seem not to make a difference?

I understand. So does He.
Give Him your small things in life as you wait.
I think you and I will be surprised by the difference in our relationship with Him as we discipline our hearts to celebrate the small things while waiting.