“What gives moments meaning is not the moments themselves
but the presence of Christ with us in the midst of them.”
—Simply Tuesday, p. 47

I’ve just read such a lovely book. Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World came along at just the right time for me because God has been talking to me about simpler things and the small stuff since this time, last year.

On Being Small

For too long, I felt a pressure to be more important and more valuable, which resulted in the fear that being smaller might mean being insignificant.  And like so many bad feelings, the fear of being insignificant is an old familiar companion. This fear says nobody cares and nobody sees you, so you don’t matter…it says that you might just keep failing and flailing and getting smaller, till you disappear.

But God’s Word says that Our Heavenly Father has a special regard for us because we are small, compared to Him: “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103: 13-14, ESV).

If we do have fear, it should be the reverence and awe of The Almighty, and not the fear of failure. Emily Freeman notes that:

“Celebrating our smallness in the midst of our Tuesday moments
looks surprisingly similar in failure as it does in success.”
—Simply Tuesday, p.93

On Keeping a Godly Perspective

I tend to forget that failure and success lose their distinctions in the light of eternity. We need to ask ourselves, What are we doing today that has eternal, kingdom consequences?

Jesus gave us a great challenge, which simplifies our busy lives:“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39, ESV).

Loving God and our neighbor is a big undertaking, but it can only be accomplished if we start small, moment to moment, when the quiet meditations of our hearts exhibit a gratitude for God’s grace.

“There is a place, an important place, to discover
how our small interactions with the people of God
affect the kingdom of God.”
—Simply Tuesday, p. 153

Emily Freeman’s reflections on smallness resonate when we come to terms with Truth. Truth: the fear of being overlooked and forgotten begins with concern for our own importance…this is pride. We find relief when we accept that we are meant to be like Jesus, and He was humble.

On “Outcomes”

Another attitude adjustment comes for me when I remember the ways that I am not like God. He is sovereign—unlike me, He has the wisdom and power to make His plans a reality. He is faithful—unlike me, He is consistent and predictable. Knowing and trusting in God’s character helps me remember that He is in charge of the outcomes and He will not let me down.

“I sense Christ asking me to
embrace the days of small beginnings 
even when they might lead only to small endings.”
—Simply Tuesday, p. 224

I received a free advance copy of the book, Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World, for review. So here’s my review: get a copy and buy more copies for your mom, your sister, your friends, a neighbor…you get the idea.

Let’s be small. But let’s be small together because the truth is that we are small, and it finally feels right.