The Power of Little Things

For most of my life, I’ve thought of myself as smaller and shorter than others.  It didn’t matter what I actually weighed or what my height was, I always “felt” smaller, little and “less than.”  To counteract this feeling, I sought to overachieve in areas where I believed I might have some talent.  Of course, I was really never “good enough".  There was always someone or something that was better.  I continued to be “little” and “less than.”

I am amazed at how much this has carried over into my adulthood.  I’m 74 and you would think that I would have outgrown feelings of insecurity.  I haven’t.  But I do take comfort in how kindly Jesus looks on me.  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  (2 Cor. 12:9)  He reminds me that I do not have to over-achieve to be acceptable to Him. And throughout my life, He has often reminded me in little ways and often through others. 

When I was 16, I was going to take a summer job unloading trucks at Pier 91.  However, an older friend of mine said, “Bob, that’s okay.  But what you really need to do is learn a trade.”  I began working for his company as an electrician’s helper.  Two little sentences changed my life forever.

When I was 17, I went to Sunday worship as I did every Sunday.  At that moment, I had no firm goals for the future.  Graduate from high school, get married.  But that Sunday, a couple of men that I knew showed a film of their travels and their visits with missionaries.  I was mesmerized.  I saw a 30 second interview with a missionary in the Philippines.  One little film clip changed my life.  To this day, I am convinced that this was God calling me to my mission for life.  I have not always been faithful to this call, but it has continued to be an anchor of my faith.  (Hebrews 6:19)  And it was such a little thing.

When living in Chile, I had a newborn daughter and a need for an income.  Electricians were a dime a dozen, and there was almost no work.  One day, our neighbor (a business owner) showed me a refrigerator that wasn’t working and asked if I could fix it.  I looked at it and determined that it had a refrigerant leak.  It wasn’t an electrical problem.  I couldn’t fix it.  “Too bad,” he said.  “There is no one in this town that can fix them.”  With that one little sentence, I realized that I could learn to fix refrigerators in a third world country and make a living that would support my family.  I eventually became the go-to guy for refrigeration repairs in our town of 100,000.  Plus, I taught half a dozen young men the trade while I lived there (which was very satisfying).  All because of one little sentence.

On our trip to Scotland and Norway, I again was reminded of the power of little things.  In the small harbor of Bergen, Norway, there was a sawed-off tugboat that was only a third of the length of a regular tug.  But it could still move a cruise ship 400 times its size.  In the Shetland Islands, we saw the little Shetland ponies.  They are funny looking little horses but can pull four to eight times their own weight.  That is twice or more what a standard horse could pull.  They were used in the coal mines to pull the coal carts because a regular horse was too tall.

Without thinking, I continue to see myself as smaller (littler), less than others. And in spite of His assurance, I continue to try to overachieve to overcome my feelings of littleness.  It feels like it is woven into my DNA.  I cannot help it, even though He constantly reminds me of His love, care, acceptance and power, and the power of littleness!

God can do wonders with my weaknesses, my littleness and my imperfections, especially when I am not confident in my abilities to perform the task, make the coffee, greet newcomers, lead the study, deliver  or sing the songs.  I continue to see others as better than or more important than me.  Yet God has surrounded me with little things that remind me of His power, and allowed me to do many things in spite of my insecurity and self-consciousness.  He is good and faithful.