Big Things vs. Little Things

If you have read very much of the posting here at Mrs. Troop, you know that this blog is mostly about the little things in life.

As a mom of young children, we really LIVE the little things. We are consumed and overwhelmed with them.

You know what I mean. The meals, laundry, the diapers and baths. The bad attitudes, the obedience, the fatigue. The loving and hugging and holding and rocking. The fevers and coughs, the dirty shoes on the living room carpet (I speak from experience). Even the flu and new puppies.

And although I believe with all of my heart that the LORD is in all of these little things, that He cares about each of them, sometimes the little things are so huge that we forget the big things.

The Coach and I attended two weddings on Saturday. As I was sitting there listening to those vows (twice) and the admonition to the bride and groom (twice), I thought about what they were saying.

The "love, honor, cherish". The "submit", the "laying down of one's life for the other". One wedding even mentioned "considering her feelings" and "submitting to his decisions." Good stuff.

But honestly.

Those of us who are married know that you stand there and promise things that you realize (if not then, then certainly after a few years) that you will sometimes fail to keep.

Yes, I know (and my heart desires) to submit to every decision the Coach makes. But when I said it over 13 years ago, I was thinking about the big things.

And turns out the little things can be just as hard.

When he promised to love me, he didn't know how grumpy I would be when I'm sick and pregnant. Or tired caring for a new baby. Or just overwhelmed. I hadn't been any of that when he made the promise. And now it's all there is.

We don't know what life will hold when we promise those things. We don't know about the babies coming 14 months apart. Or the week in the hospital with a five week old who has RSV. Or the broken bones, stitches or illnesses. Or the baby that will be in heaven with Jesus before we have a chance to hold it. Or the early arrival of a tiny baby to a sick mommy and the long recovery that followed. Or even the loss of hearing.

Those promises (even though we sometimes fail in them) are the hope of what is to come. Not that there won't be hard things - "richer or poorer, sickness or health" - but that the hard things won't change our committment to one another. In fact, I would say (and I know the Coach would, too) that the hard things have brought depth to our love for one another.


Last night my uncle died. He's with Jesus. He was ready to go, after battling MS for most of his adult life.

He left behind a grieving wife, children, five siblings (four older) and a mother (my grandmother) who, I'm sure, never expected to outlive two husbands and her next to the youngest child.

Big things.

Hard things.

"Lord, help me to see you in the BIG things, so that I can trust you in the little things, too. Your grace is sufficient for them all."

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Cor. 12:9-10