Celebrating Smallness

Do you like feeling small?

Most people in our society would say no. Because it means the kinds of situations that make us feel misunderstood, unappreciated, stupid, ignored, or humiliated. Small means we’re not good enough, not important enough, without purpose, unable to make a difference.

But small does not have to be a bad thing. When I run across some celebrity in the news I often think, Thank goodness I am not famous. I would hate to be in the spotlight all the time. Small can be good that way. And when you stare in wonder at the night sky, or a mountain range, or a grove of towering redwoods, you feel small in light of the magnificence of this world we live in. That kind of small brings with it a sense of peace, because we remember that there is a big God. A God who is much (much, much) bigger than our problems, mistakes, and weaknesses.

In these places I’m small enough to breathe in deeply, small enough to see what’s happening, and small enough to let go, to be loved, to remember the with-ness of Christ. This kind of small carries wonder, gratitude, and peace. This kind of small leads to worship. Emily P. Freeman in Simply Tuesday

Embracing the smallness of an ordinary life

Our culture does not respect the small and ordinary, and yet most of us live our entire lives doing small, ordinary things. Does that mean we are unsuccessful? Failures?

Of course not.

Because the reality is that most of life (even for “important” people) happens during “ordinary time.” If we focus all our attention on getting to some future moment of achievement, or the fulfillment of some big dream, we’ll miss most of life. Is that really what we want?

Isn’t it better to live fully in each ordinary moment? To savor the small threads of joy, wonder, and also sadness that combine to create the fabric of our lives. To resist the urge to rush past people, park benches, and play times because we are too busy being “productive” by doing Really Important Stuff.

Perhaps slowing down to talk, pausing to notice the flowers in the sidewalk cracks, or plopping on the floor to play with our kids or grandkids is actually the Really Important Stuff of life.

Why do we so often resist smallness?

• Because we are basing or worth on our work, success and cleverness instead of on who we are in Christ.
• Because we fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others instead of being content to be who we were meant to be.
• Because we think being in the spotlight is the best place to be. (Wrong! Just look at what it does to people.)
• Because we are afraid small means we are’t doing enough, living up to our potential.

Most of us need to keep reminding ourselves that smallness is OK.  The the small words and actions of our everyday lives often make a much bigger impact than we realize. Small words of encouragement. Small acts of kindness. Small digressions from our agendas in order to listen to a neighbor. Small prayers. Small ideas. Small talents.

Who knows what God might do with our small offerings.

Won’t you join me in embracing smallness? In breathing a big sigh of relief that we don’t have to follow the hectic pace of others, but can be content with right-here, right-now stuff.

Who knows when your ordinary life will have an extraordinary moment. Be small. Be proud.

If you want to spend more time thinking about smallness, read Simply Tuesday by Emily P. Freeman. Or visit her blog.