The small things, an intro

Something I'm consistently surprised by in life is how much the small things really do matter.

A bright smile in the middle of a grumpy day.

An encouraging hand on a shoulder.

An opened door when hands are full.

It is these small acts that can make a bad day a little better and a good day even greater. Conversely...

A roll of the eyes when backs were thought to be turned.

A grunt instead of a word or ten in reply.

A conversation during another's turn to talk.

These small acts can make a bad day worse and a good day grumpy.

I think these small things really being big things is a matter of...acknowledgement. Or perhaps respect. Or perhaps another more encompassing word I can't think of right now. Positive small acts say from one human to another, "I see you. I care that you exist. I honor you as at least equal to myself, or, as the Bible commands, as better than myself (Philippians 2:3)." Negative acts say, "I may or may not see you, and either way, I don't care."

Lately I have been the glad recipient and giver of positive small acts of kindness. I have also been the disgruntled recipient and ashamed giver of negative small things. These small things have mattered, and thus, I think I'll write about them for a while.

I don't wish to be petty or to keep a record of wrongs, so I'll steer clear of the bad small things unless one seems worth addressing. What I mainly want to do is keep a running record of at least one small thing I see or experience each day. I don't know how long I'll maintain this list of small things, and I can see this morphing into other blog ideas, but I do know that I want to keep observing and writing and sharing any small bits of life and wisdom God gives me to share. It's good to be back, dear readers. I've missed you.