{Even in the Little Things}

I went to bed last night scribbling out my to-do list for the week. It's long.

I woke up this morning thinking about this list. But rather than jump straight to it, I sat in bed for a few minutes to read and pray while Jamie got ready for work.

When the list is a mile long, it's so tempting to set aside the things that really matter and jump to the things I can cross off my list. Because when I can cross it off, that means I'm in control. And that feels good. At least, that's what I tell myself.

But do I really want to be in control? I'm reading in Deuteronomy right now, and Moses is reminding the Israelites of all the "buts" in their journey. The Lord directed them to do such and such, and time and time again the response is the same: "But you would not listen" or "But you were unwilling" or "In spite of this, you did not trust." And the result? Wandering, wandering, wandering.

It's kind of like my list. Wandering, wandering from one detail to the next when really, the most important part of my day is that which is spent in the Lord's service.

Deuteronomy 2:7 is encouraging. Although the Israelites disobeyed, the Lord still cared for them. "The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything."

And this is true. We are blessed. We are watched over, and we are provided for. Why would we want to take control?

I caught a glimpse of this just this afternoon. One of my to-do's was to clean out the fridge. I was tossing old stuff into the sink like a wild woman, thankful for the magic machine underneath that would grind it up and take it away.

Well, this little machine decided to clog. I knew that cleaning a fridge and preparing meals would be very difficult without the use of my sink, and I also knew that Jamie wouldn't be home to do whatever it is that he does to make it all better until much later.

It quickly occurred to me that the Lord could fix it. So, I kid you not, I knelt down next to the trash can, laid my hand on one of the pipes and prayed. I asked the Lord if He would please see fit to fix my little garbage disposal because it sure would be nice to use that sink.

You've probably already guessed the outcome. That sink just came right unclogged. I jumped up and shouted to the kids, "God just fixed our sink!" They were a bit taken aback. But there was no doubt about it. The sink was no longer clogged. They responded, with wide eyes, "That's SO cool."

Perhaps there's another "explanation," but even so I know that the Lord cares about the little things in our lives. He hears us, blesses us and provides for us. There's no need to take over, panic and try to control, even when the to-do list is a mile long.

So this day, this week, as the to-do list mounts and I strive to keep my focus full of joy in anticipation of Christmas morning, I ask the Lord to bless the work of my hands. Whether I'm stringing up garland, frosting cookies, or scrubbing floors, He is watching over this little journey of mine. And I lack nothing.