ONE THOUSAND GIFTS

Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transparent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world. ~ Sara Ban Breathnach

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

It's the little things...

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. ~ Robert Brault

What exactly are "little things"?

"Little things" were the words that caught my attention in Brault's quote this morning and I realized that in some strange way I was using Lectio Divina on a quote!  AND, I had not even thought of Macrina's book, The Tree Full of Angels and her notion of crumbs and littleness yet this morning.

Sitting on my patio, sipping on a cup of hazelnut coffee...both "little" things I thought more.  Possibly, a little thing would be to simply enjoy the view from my chair...

After all, it is a wonderful way to begin a new day! The sound of birds, the different colors and textures of my flowers.  Oh, the wheat field that looks almost golden in the background.  And then of course, all those rocks I have brought in from the fields, they add another interesting depth to my scene.

But, what would I see if I looked "smaller"?  If I looked for "little" crumbs?

I noticed how the sunlight bounced through the hummingbird feeder.  I noticed all the different colors between the bright yellow and the bright red.  My little camera does not begin to pick up the shades of orange and pink.

This is a little thing that I can appreciate could be a big thing if I could not see, or if I was stuck in a hospital bed, or...






You know...I've forgotten the name of this plant, perhaps someone can help me.  I was noticing the colors of the plant from my chair on the patio, but when I got up close...Look at the fineness, the littleness of this plant that makes up the whole.

It is easy to miss the "little things".  Sitting in my chair, looking out over my flower bed, I thought I was taking in the little things of my morning... Until...

Until, I got up and moved in order to see better.

Sometimes I get to comfortable and can only see things that don't require me to put much effort into seeing!  I would have missed the sunlight from the hummingbird feeder if I had stayed in my chair this morning.  I would have missed the tiny "feathery spikes"that were a part of a much larger plant.

I visited with a woman in the hospital this past Sunday.  Pat has always been an active and take charge lady.  Now she is dependent on others and she "...have missed the Spring and now I am missing seeing the Summer..." For Pat, the little things have become big.

Lord, help me to notice the crumbs you put before me...I mean the little crumbs!  Because I can appreciate there is a wonderful feast that awaits me if I am willing to move just a bit and open my eyes a little wider.  AMEN.



Many Blessings ~ Sandi

1 comment: