small places

When Sharon was here a few months ago for the birth of Ben, I overheard her sharing something with Lily and Sofie one morning in response to some moaning and groaning.

"I got in the habit long ago," she said, "of when I wake up each morning, I say, Lord, this is the day that you have made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it."

What a great little thing to share wth the girls, I thought, praising the Lord for someone to help in the discipling of my children, grateful they had a practical little child's tool to combat complaining.

But can I tell you how many times that little word has come to me? How many times I have found my eyes opening with a brain already full of streams of consciousness concerns or complaints, and how that deep breath of THIS-is-the-day-that-the-Lord-has-made-I-WILL-rejoice-and-be-glad has slowed things down and turned them around?

Reality is, this new year I don't have much time or space for BIG things.  I've got lots of big responsibilities (though four of them are quite small in size), lots of big calendar days, lots of BIG elephants, one bite at a time. 

Yesterday morning, Matt preached the new year message at Guenson's church, he and his wife still in Jamaica.  We had a big group of foreigners, lots of visiting professors, speakers, interns, helpers and friends, and Nora and Ben were both wanting held and the sound system was on big as it could be.  

But when it finally came time for Matt to speak, Ben slept on Nikki while she covered his ears, Nora snuggled into my sweaty-self, and I focused on every word so that I could translate for all the visitors.  

And his big message was that of courage...Big courage for the new year, not just faith. It was so good and timely and pertinent, but it was a small thing he mentioned in passing that hit me the hardest.

As he spoke about having the courage to give Jesus ALL of our hearts and lives, every corner, every pedestal, every secret, every shame, every temptation, every sin, every victory, he encouraged us to pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal to us any place in our life that did not give Him honor. 

Honor, I translated, and stopped to think about that word we rarely use.  

For there are many places in my life that I have submitted. Many places I have asked Him to work, many places I have noticed, and places I've not yet noticed, too (probably that my children will be pointing out to me soon!)

As I sat at lunch afterwards, watching the girls and the visitors in the pool and overseeing Ben's little nap with a cup of coffee, I realized that that that small challenge--that every area of our hearts and lives might be to His HONOR, might be honorable, might be honoring to Him--in those small places I have work to do, with His help, for His honor. 

The new years, the seasons, the days, they r-u-s-h in, but as Christ-followers, we cannot afford to rush past this is the day the Lord has made.  We cannot afford to rush past stones unturned in our lives, past corners dark in our hearts, past hurts long unforgiven, past bitterness or anger, past specks or logs in our eyes.

For He's not asking for good...He's asking for Holy.
He's not asking for some....He's asking for all.
And most days, He's not even asking for BIG.

He IS asking for all the small places - in our speech, in our attitude, in the depths of our hearts and intentions, in our work seen and unseen, in our treatment of those great and small, in our marriages, in our relationships, in our Facebook posts and in our quiet conversations - to be for His honor.

If anything is not there yet today...

Spirit, show us
Spirit, help us 
Holy Spirit, start with me