God Loves the Little Things…

Dear Reader:

Before I left to go to Edisto Beach last week an email had popped up talking about the Church of the Small Things. I glanced at it but was in a hurry to get ready to leave for the retreat and didn’t think any more of it until getting back and starting to “clean out” my inbox…and there it was again.

The first thing that struck me was the title…because worship, to me, has always been about the little things. Some of my best worship times is in the car on a long trip where I have the luxury of conversing with God or while working in my garden, or having a deep conversation with friends or having a spontaneous opportunity to help someone who perhaps dropped a grocery bag…I love communicating with God during those memorable moments in life.

The latest most memorable moment came Saturday afternoon as I started to leave Mandy and John’s (after the Disney on Ice –  Frozen.) I went into the den to tell the grandchildren good-bye. Eva Cate was absorbed in a children’s movie and told me good-bye and waved but Jakie stopped playing trucks and looked at me….“You going home now Boo Boo?” he asked and when I replied “Yes” he got up and came over and put his little head in my lap on the couch for a few seconds and then slowly picked up both my hands and kissed them. He then hopped down to play trucks again.

 

It was a “small thing” but a most beautiful moment …far surpassing Disney on Ice. (as much as I loved it)

 

When I read a notation from the author (Melanie Shankle) of the Church of the Small Things (right after the Las Vegas tragedy) I was drawn to her similar thoughts on worship and how God loves best the small ordinary acts of kindness and compassion His children bring Him each day…like blowing kisses upward!

*Thoughts from Melanie Shankle following our latest national tragedy….Las Vegas.

…”Honestly, it all feels like too much, doesn’t it? Too much hurting, too much fighting, too much sadness and too much tragedy.

But it also embodies the very heart of what I wanted to share as I wrote Church of the Small Things because what we’ve also seen are neighbors helping neighbors, ordinary people stepping up to make a difference in the lives around them in a million small ways. What’s going on in the world right now can seem so overwhelming and too big for any one person to handle, but each of us can impact our small corner by loving our family, our friends, and asking God to show us what he’d have us do this day right where we are with what he has given us.

David killed a giant with a slingshot he already owned.

A widow saved her family with a little bit of olive oil that was already in her house.

A young boy shared his lunch and it fed 5,000 people.

Jesus changed the world with twelve men. He didn’t even have an Instagram account. “

………………………..

So until tomorrow…I was thinking the other day that life is a balancing act between responsibility and privilege. And even though most of us will never save the world on the front pages of a newspaper…the real “superheroes” are all of us…God’s children who are capable of life-altering changes for others through ordinary means at our own disposal. Underneath all of our exteriors lie the spirit within us filled with a superhuman capacity to change the world through love, kindness, and compassion.

 

 

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Another big benchmark by writing my little blog posts from my little corner of the world…110,000 loving “hits” since November 2014.

*We just got some great news about our team “Legally Pink” and we are in the process of working through some fun ideas….so will wait and share this news tomorrow. Hard to believe that the race is almost here…this Saturday! Getting excited!

About Becky Dingle

I was born a Tarheel but ended up a Sandlapper. My grandparents were cotton farmers in Laurens, South Carolina and it was in my grandmother’s house that my love of storytelling began beside an old Franklin stove. When I graduated from Laurens High School, I attended Erskine College (Due West of what?) and would later get my Masters Degree in Education/Social Studies from Charleston Southern. I am presently an adjunct professor/clinical supervisor at CSU and have also taught at the College of Charleston. For 28 years I taught Social Studies through storytelling. My philosophy matched Rudyard Kipling’s quote: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Today I still spread this message through workshops and presentations throughout the state. The secret of success in teaching social studies is always in the story. I want to keep learning and being surprised by life…it is the greatest teacher. Like Kermit said, “When you’re green you grow, when you’re ripe you rot.”
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2 Responses to God Loves the Little Things…

  1. bcparkison says:

    Yes! And it is the little things we miss the most when someone isn’t here any more.
    Exciting news? Can’t wait to hear. (read)

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