Big things and little things.

One of my favorite stories is about the life of Therese of Lisieux (Catholics know her as St Therese).

She was a young girl in France who entered the convent at the age of 15, and died 9 years later at the age of 24. She had no special talent or gift (that she could discern) and despaired over her "lack"... she wasn't a great theologian (though she turned out to be!) or academic or writer or healer, etc. She was disconsolate that she couldn't do great, big things for Christ.

One morning in prayer she was pouring her heart out, and heard God ask: "Can you do little things for me?"

"Yes", she thought... "I can do little things". She joyfully responded with a "Yes!" to God's question.

God told her to go, and do little things. And that's what she did with the rest of her short life. She developed what she called "the little way" and became known as "The Little Flower". She believed in and lived out a childlike focus of love of whoever and whatever was right in front of her.

"What matters in life," she wrote, "is not great deeds, but great love."

Why do I like Therese so much?

Because I can do little things also. I might do big, great things someday... or maybe not. But I know I'll do little things every day.

I'll send a card... let someone merge in traffic... pick up some extra food for the Food Bank... buy a cold, homeless alcoholic some hot coffee... make my wife peas (yuck) for dinner.

I'll do those things... and I'll also NOT do them (sorry to say). Still, I can do little things, and the more I do the better at them I get. And then I realize a deep truth. It's the truth Jesus talked about when he compared the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed:

There are no little things.