TINY

Tiny is important. Since the beginning of time, God has chosen the tiny over the huge. David over Goliath ... Gideon and his 300 over thousands of enemy Midianites ... Elijah over the powerful prophets of Baal ... one lone sheep over 99 sheep.

Spirituality is about doing the tiny work of God -- small acts -- ordinary responses to God's presence in our lives. Every day my church shows me heroic acts by ordinary people who will probably never be recognized.

Because we have read and heard the stories of Jesus over and over and over, we have exaggerated the size of the tiny ministry He actually had. Jesus was around for three years of ministry, but He really didn't do all that much. He hung out with a dozen guys, healed a few lepers, a couple of lame folk, a blind guy or two, made some wine from water, helped out three or four women, raised a guy from the dead, calmed down a crazy person or two, caused a scene in the temple, and then disappeared.

Think what He could have accomplished if He'd stayed on earth doing ministry for 20, 30, 40 years. Instead, He showed up on the planet, did a few amazing things, said a few amazing words - and left.

But His few tiny words changed the world forever. Tiny becomes huge when Jesus is involved.

It's easy to get the impression that God is about big - and that if He isn't doing big things thru our lives, He isn't working. But spiritual people are about tiny things. The spiritual life is not about a life of success; it is a life of faithfulness. Sure, God does big things once in a while, but there is no question the primary work of God in the world is salt-and-light tiny.

God knew we would be naturally enamored by big. Why do you think Jesus told the stories of the lost coin, the lost sheep and the mustard seed? He was trying to tell us something - the spiritual life is a tiny life, filled with tiny decisions and tiny acts and tiny steps toward God - tiny glimpses of His presence - tiny changes and movings - tiny successes and stirrings.

Stuck in the Bible book of Mark is a tiny four-verse story. Jesus has just finished ranting about excessive displays of arrogance and showy spirituality. As He finishes, He sees a woman nobody else notices. He recognizes the unmistakable look of poverty. Shuffling across the temple grounds, she drops two thin coins in the collection box. Headline: Old Woman Gives Tiny Gift. Who cares? It doesn't come anywhere close to the incredible stories of the disciples or the life-threatening accounts of the heroes of the faith.

Which is what makes her story so powerful. It isn't at all spectacular - revolutionary - dramatic - significant - or amazing. In the world she lives, she's part of the wallpaper, a blur in the sea of faces - but a faithful blur - an inconspicuous adorer of God who loves Him every day and lives for Him every day. She doesn't care if she is noticed; she cares if God is noticed.

This is exactly where Christianity shows itself best and most powerfully: in the unnoticed life - the invisible life - the tiny life.

And be blessed.