The "Little" Things

And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel (Mt. 2:6).

A few weeks ago, the sports section ran a story about Kevin Everett, the Buffalo Bills football player who was injured during the season’s opening game against Denver. Doctors initially feared that he would never walk again following what they described as a life threatening injury suffered while making a tackle. Everett was paralyzed from the neck down when he arrived at the hospital, and spent the first few days on life support. He is now walking on his own, having made what can only be described as a miraculous recovery. He’s walking – a “little” thing that we barely think about and mostly take for granted.

Two weeks ago, I suffered a relapse of a virus I had caught the week before Thanksgiving, and got a secondary respiratory infection. After a week on antibiotics and asthma medication, I have in the last couple of days been able to finally take a full breath. Breathing – a “little” thing we so often take for granted until we can’t take a breath.

As I reflect back on my own spiritual journey, I realize that it has been made up of many little things. I had kind of “checked out” on God when I was a young adult, and as happens to many people, I struggled to find something to fill an empty space that never seemed to be satisfied. Jesus waited patiently for me to come around. He is, after all, a gentleman and never imposes Himself on anyone. His call inviting me back into His embrace was gentle and quiet – no Damascus experience here – but it was also consistent and unmistakable.

He showed Himself to me perhaps most profoundly in a group of people I met in Mexico about four years ago. The alumni association from my University has a program called "Alumni for Others." We had made a weekend trip to Tijuana to build houses for several poor families as part of an ongoing program that the University is involved in. The families who receive those homes have to perform many hours of community service in order to "qualify." The beautiful thing is that so many families who have already received houses come back and join the University crew to help build the next ones. Even the children help out. I will never forget a little boy of about 5 named Victor. He had a these bright piercing eyes and smile that could light up New York City. He clearly was an expert, and kept an eye out for whatever provisions were running low - sand, concrete mix, water, whatever you needed. The next thing you knew, there he was replenishing the supply. Everyone sang and chatted as they worked side by side. Many of the people in our group didn't speak a word of Spanish and most of the locals didn't speak English, but it didn't matter. Love and goodness need no translation. The joy and giving spirit of those people has never left me. I saw Christ in a concrete way in those simple, beautiful souls.

Just as God shows Himself to us in various ways, so too we are called to incarnate Him to a world that is lost and wounded. Some people are capable of heroic acts, but most of us are called to bring Him to others by "doing little things with great love," as Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said. Yes, those “little” things do make a difference.

And somewhere, somehow, we learn that maybe those little things aren't so little after all. Little things like the baby who was born that Christmas night in an obscure town called Bethlehem some 2000 years ago. That incredible night when the whole host of angels danced in the heavens singing Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace (Lk 2:13-14). That holiest of nights when the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and we saw His glory, the glory of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14). The night the world received the simple carpenter from Nazareth who was the greater one of whom John the Baptist had foretold would come after him, and who would baptize [us] in the Holy Spirit and with fire (Lk. 3:16).

He awaits us in the little things. Let us not miss Him when He comes again this Christmas.

Prayer Request: For those caught in the dead end of seeking after that which can never satisfy.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for coming to us simply, as a helpless baby and teaching us the joy of finding You in the little things. May we, in turn, give You as gift through our love and care for those You put in our path, by the grace of You who are Emmanuel, God with us. Amen.