Little Signs

Spring flowers can seem to shout or whisper based on how you “listen” to them. The first Spring blooms that caught my eye a few days ago seemed to shout, “Spring is here!” But when I scanned the panorama around me and realized that they were only gracing a tiny rock crevice in the vast landscape, their quiet grace seemed more like a whisper. They weren’t gaudy, demanding, boisterous—just a modest illustration of the joy of Spring. But a closer look at one of these precious blooms reveals a world of intricately designed exquisiteness. The delicate stores of pollen, the gracefully formed anthers, the brightly painted petals—they all combine to present a work of art from God. This must have been what Jesus was talking about when He said, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28-30) It seems like the huge, grand things in life catch our attention so much that the little gems of God’s care and design too often get shoved aside. But the little, seemingly mundane, things, which actually turn into beautiful wonders upon closer inspection, are actually the stuff of everyday life. We can’t reach a monumental achievement or have a milestone experience every day. If we did, we would burn out fast. Instead, we can revel in the joy of little wonders, knowing that they have their own special significance too. We may not make huge strides for God and ministry every day, but we can look for everyday opportunities to share God’s love through a smile, a handshake, or a listening ear. And we can remember that these little steps in ministry and caring are also part of God’s much larger plan to take the gospel to the world. We should definitely dream big dreams for God’s glory and expand our horizons of ministry as far as they will go. But as we’re reaching forward for God, let’s not forget the little divine appointments along our path as well. Spring definitely seems like a time of abundance, but sometimes the most satisfying signs of spring aren’t the big panoramas of greenery. Often they’re the little signs of new life that evoke wonder. Sometimes bending down to drink in God’s little blessings gives us a much sharper sense of our calling as Jesus’ disciples.