By Elisha Ann Wahlquist, August 2009
When you see a mountainside thickly covered in snow, or think of pictures of the vast snow-covered areas of the Artic, it is hard to comprehend that each one of those millions of snowflakes is unique and different. Not one is the same!
The amazing care of God-that He cares enough about each snowflake to make it different than all other snowflakes-is mind-boggling. But if He cares-since He cares-so much about tiny snowflakes, when the crystalline details of millions of them will never be noticed or appreciated, how much more does He care for us, and for all the tiny details of our lives?
Since our God cares about miniscule snowflakes, it makes sense to believe that He cares about the miniscule, small things in our lives, too. And He does. Jesus said,
"…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. …I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (Matt. 12:34b-36)
Christ said that we will be judged for every word-even the idle words-that we speak. That is serious! But He also points to the root cause of what we speak-the thoughts of our heart. Our thoughts are the first battleground. If we think good thoughts, our words will be good and pleasant. If our thoughts are critical or unloving, guess what words will slip out of our mouths?
"But thoughts!" I can hear someone say. "They're so small and unimportant!" Individual snowflakes may seem small and unimportant, but God cares enough about the little things in life to make each one totally different.
Many times, when I notice myself having a bad attitude or unloving spirit towards someone else, I can trace it back to the most minor things-small critical, judgmental, or unloving thoughts that I had toward that person. When they occurred, they were just small things-a stray thought or two, not really remembered, and certainly not focused or brooded upon. But they piled on top of each other, and eventually began to impede and hinder my relationship with that other person. God finally helped me to realize how vitally important my thoughts are, and how much they shaped and influenced my attitudes towards others. As I have realized that, I have sought God's grace to think positive, not negative, thoughts about others. With His help, as I catch a negative thought slip in, "She always does _____," "How insensitive of him," etc., I have sought to immediately change that thought to a positive one-to focus on the positive things I can in the other person.
Maybe an example will better illustrate what I mean:
Mary is cleaning the living room-picking up the scattered toys and straightening the couch-when her sister Priscilla walks in the room. Instead of voluntarily helping, Priscilla sits down at the computer, and soon is busy checking e-mail and browsing some favorite blogs. Small thoughts like, "She saw the mess," "I noticed and began picking up," "I've been doing important projects all day, and she's just wasted it reading," slip into Mary's mind. Without even meaning to-for she loves her sister dearly-she finds herself being cold and distant from her sister the rest of the day. She even wonders why she feels that way towards Priscilla.
When I am faithful to focus on positive thoughts, that I have such a freeing love and delight in those God has placed around me, and the irritations that used to bug me have become stepping-stones, because they now are opportunities for me to remember to think good thoughts of that person.
Let's ask God to help us view the little things as He sees them, so we can become channels of His love and blessing!
