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The little things we do as moms can seem so thankless. The constant dribble of requests and needs are overwhelming, yet at the end of the day, it can feel like we didn’t accomplish anything. We fall into bed exhausted, hoping for a few hours of sleep. Our sleep is often accompanied by a sense of dread that the baby will wake, or a child will get up with a tummy ache. We get up in the morning and do the same dishes, feed the same mouths, run the same errands, and sometimes we wonder if anyone even noticed.
A few years ago, I heard these lines from a song by the Porter’s Gate Worship Project:
In the garden of our Savior, no flower grows unseen;
His kindness rains like water on every humble seed.
No simple act of mercy escapes his watchful eye —
for there is One who loves me: His hand is over mine.
He sees. God sees, and furthermore, his kindness is like the water that falls on the humble seed of our simple obedience, taking the small things that we do and making them grow. I love the phrase, “His hand is over mine.” What an image!
The song goes on to the chorus:
Oh, the deeds forgotten; oh, the works unseen,
every drink of water flowing graciously,
every tender mercy, you’re making glorious.
This you have asked us: do little things with great love,
little things with great love.
Jesus said:
And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. – Matthew 10:42 (ESV)
The reward comes when we do the little things with and for Jesus. Without him, our work is exhausting and fruitless. I snap back instead of responding with patience. I don’t frankly care if my kids have too much screen time or eat Cheez-Its for an hour. However, when in my mind’s eye I imagine “his hand over mine,” I feel less heavy. When I remember I receive grace, I can give it one more try with a little more patience. Then, through Jesus’ strength, I can I get up, cut some apples, and take the kids for a walk.
I want to do little things with great love. I want to do the little things with his hand over mine. But to do that, I need to first admit that I need his help. Nothing good will come from my “scattered seed” without his “rain” to make it grow.
Questions:
- What small seeds have you seen grow within yourself or your family?
- How does the image of, “His hand is over mine,” help you?
Hannah Bolvi, Development Manager for OCC / mops.org/occ