Lessons from a Potter’s Wheel – Part 5: Don’t Sweat the Little Things

We were learning that the resurrection of Jesus was not just an event on the calendar to be celebrated, it was a daily realization that He was alive and, through His resurrected life, was involved with us in our daily affairs. While the celebration of Easter took on a new significance, the realization of His resurrected presence being with us every day of our lives was somewhat overwhelming.

Not only did we realize that He was walking with us every day but that through the power of His resurrection, He enabled us to overcome in the struggles and vicissitudes of life. I don’t know about others but I was not used to thinking of Him as a vital and perpetual presence Who had the power to help me with my problems. I was used to slogging it out on my own and, most of the time, not doing that well.

Big issues didn’t bother me so much as the little things. Somehow Norma and I were given the grace to face the big issues in life. For example, we had faced major surgery with two of our daughters, each of which was a life threatening condition. We made it through those times with flying colors (as did they).

Then came Monday mornings! Monday mornings were not my favorite time of the week at any time, particularly during the days of my pastorates. Mondays symbolized all of the little “stuff” that tended to get me down, i.e., a car that wouldn’t start making me late for school, a child with the sniffles, bills to be paid, lesson plans to be written, rowdy kids in my classrooms to be dealt with, a principal complaining about something I had done or hadn’t done, finding that the dog had messed on the carpet. None of these (and countless others) things were insurmountable. They were just pestiferous.

My theology was well established when it came to praying about the big things. My God was the God of the big things. We just didn’t bother Him with what we considered to be the trifling things. After all, He had an awful lot of people to look after who had really big issues in life so why should we bother Him with the paltry things?

Somewhere in this new way of thinking that we were experiencing, we began to realize that God is the God of hair and sparrows, i.e., He knows the number hairs on our heads as well as caring about a sparrow that falls.

The little things were not like the profound things that sent us to our knees reaching out to the Father in desperation for hours and days at a time such as when we had critically ill children. The little things are those ongoing life issues that dog our footsteps and make our days messy, thus robbing us of our peace. These things were the little foxes that spoiled the vines and the flies that spoiled the ointment.

I remember the time in those early days when I suddenly became aware that God was the God of cars that won’t start, kids with sniffles, pesky kids in the classroom, and complaining principals. What I learned was not a new positive mental attitude gimmick. I learned that I could simple let go! That didn’t mean all of these things would suddenly and miraculously be resolved or disappear. It meant that I could let go of the demands, pressures, and negative attitudes that I placed on myself, others, and life in general, i.e., all the things that were getting me down. I found I could place my issues in the hands of a loving Father Who daily cared for me. I realized that He was already on top of those things that threatened to get me down. I was learning not to “sweat the little things!”

I was to discover that the presence and power of the resurrected Christ was, indeed, a daily and personal reality. I could cast my cares on Him each moment of every day and although He might not provide instant remedies, He would at the very least provide instant peace.

In those years God showed me Isaiah 32:17 which became one of my favorite scriptures: “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.”

Lessons learned on the Potter’s Wheel: The resurrection of Jesus is more than a holiday or an annual celebration. It is a daily reality of profound impact for those who look to God. A big lesson learned in light of the resurrection was, don’t sweat the little things. We have an ever living and ever loving Lord Who cares for us.

Jeff

• Jefferson H. and Norma R. Floyd, CO-directors • Jubilee International • P. O. Box 572 • Noblesville, IN 46061 • Copyright November 2007 by Jefferson H. Floyd. All rights reserved.