The Little Things (And why I'm thankful for them)

Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

I'm sure many of you have heard the phrase, "Enjoy the little things", or "It's the little things in life that count", etc.? Most of the time, these sayings are used by those who do not have a relationship with God, so really all they do is enjoy them. (For a short time.) We as Christians should be not only enjoying those little things, but also thanking the One who gave them to us! So these are good statements, they just have to be in the right context. :) 

So I know that nothing God does for us is truly "little"...he loads us down with His benefits. However, there are some things in life that you can't help but smile at--because that thing that happened was not necessary. Maybe it was even something tiny and simple, a ray of sunshine that suddenly flashed through your day. Maybe you couldn't find something for the life of you, and suddenly you found it in the unlikeliest place. Well, you could call that coincidence, but really think about it. I truly believe that so many things we chalk up to "chance" is God showering yet another blessing onto that day's pile...and we don't even give Him credit for it. That's really sad!! When a friend drops by with a plate of cookies, or a passing stranger helps pick up some dropped papers, do we neglect to thank them? Of course not! And yet how many times do we ignore the little gifts God gives us, with the assumption that it was just a random happenstance? :( 

Last year, shortly after I first started this blog, I published a post entitled, "The Story of the Toy Firetruck, (and why it meant so much to me)". You can read it here. In the spirit of that post, I would like to just take a minute to thank The Lord for a few of the "little things" He's given me lately. :)

• A few days ago I was in a hurry, and rushed out the door to work without grabbing something to eat for lunch. It wasn't a crazy long shift, (5 or 6 hours, I think), but long enough that I would probably have to either mooch something from a coworker, (haha!) or go out. 1 hour into my shift, a guy from a local sub sandwich delivery place shows up at the front desk. He cheerfully says, "Hey, I have some free sample sandwiches for all the staff here, would you like one?" Umm. Yes. ;) So I got a free "sample" sandwich, (it was about 5 inches long, so a totally fine size for a small lunch!), and didn't have to go out in the snowy weather. Thank you, Lord!
• I recently purchased some pajamas that are soooo soft, I seriously look forward to getting into them when I get home from work, etc. They feel like clouds. :) My mom really wanted some as well, so last week I ran to the store where I got mine, to try and find her some as a surprise. Well, they were out. As was another store of a similar kind. I had just about given up hope, (and was out of time to look), when I thought of checking this random store in the mall, because I vaguely remembered something about them having pj's at some point. You guessed it! They not only had them, but they were on end-of-winter sale for FIVE BUCKS. Thank you again, Lord!!! :)

I could go on and on. Like I said, these are not life changing things! Would I have died of starvation without a sandwich? Of course not. Would my mom have perished without those cozy pajamas? Nope. But God still chose to let me have those little, fun blessings, because He loves me! And I think that is so special, that God cares about giving good gifts to His children, even when we are naughty wandering little sheep that won't quit falling into mud puddles, wandering off the path into thornbushes and pits, and becoming so focused on ourselves that we can't even take a second to thank the kind Shepherd who leads us! Today, I'm challenging you, as well as myself, to look for those little things. Notice when they happen, and don't just ignore them...praise The Lord for them! I'm not saying we should fall on our knees wherever we are and burst into the Hallelujah chorus. But just say thank you. That's all. :) Love,

Mykaela