What seems small in your world? That place where your vision is grand but your reality isn’t. Your influence? Your opportunity? Your business? Your blog? Your ministry?
Look at that small place and tell me what you see.
Now, might I be so bold as to slip a little note into your world to tell you what I see?
I see the place from which humility is birthed. That glorious rare quality that doesn’t take too much credit. That knows real success is laced with upward glances, bent knees and whispered praises to the only One. The One.
He who gives.
And He who withholds. Not out of spite, not out of ignorance, not out of deafness, and certainly not out of comparisons where others are found to be more deserving.
No. He withholds out of protection. With more urgent restraint than we’ll ever possess, He presses back the big to protect the workings of the small.
The small we should not despise.
The quiet nurturing taking place, the unfolding, the stir beneath where none can see.
Soon, a fork in the soul’s path must be chosen. One way to haughtiness. One way to humility.
If that soul has never tasted small, it will detest the humble pallet. And crave big, only big, until it is so full of big that being big inflates and distorts and eventually bursts. All things haughty will eventually be made microscopic.
But for the soul that has tasted small, humility becomes their richest fare. The taste that fits. The thing most desired to be be consumed. All things humble will eventually be made great.
Oh the beautiful gift of small.
The delight of knowing what small really is.
Small isn’t a belittling of one’s calling nor an indication of one’s future.
It’s a place. A grand unnoticed place. A place to be protected and remembered. A place that keeps all things big in good and right perspective.
Small isn’t what keeps us from that grand vision.
Small is what keeps us for that grand vision.
Just.Beautiful.
Thank you, Lysa. I really needed that today.
Timely word, thank you Lysa! Thank You GOD!
Feeling small, and unnoticed this very day….the message of protection and being in a grande unnoticed place …..explains my contentment…my unexplained peace….
This message and finishing the book, A Thousand Gifts. The quiet nurturing, unfolding, stirring taking place in the unseen place….me, alone with God (El Roi), the God who sees indeed.
And this IS the small where BIG begins. The wisdom infused…by His Spirit that takes place in still small voice. Being readied and kept for grande vision by the Author of grande vision Himself! Prepared for the fork in the soul’s path soon to come… to choose the path to humility…..the path to GRACE! Thank you!
What a wonderful reminder that is much needed in my stage of life. My heart has alwYs been for ministry and right now I am a stay at home mom of 2 kids under 2 and there are plenty of days where I feel that my realm of influence is small. I love my kids and mist days know and am thankful that I have been given the honor of raising them up in the Lord but those days do come where I think what I’m doing is of no importance and why can’t I gave a much bigger ministry? As you said it’s in the small that the Lord prepares refines and keeps you for the Big things. Thanks for reminding me this “small” stage won’t last forever with my kids and to savor enjoy and live each moment with purpose so that they are the beginning of a family legacy who serves the Lord. That’s a BIG influence!
Thank you Lysa for the sweet words of encouragement. Lately I’ve been content with small. But I’m wondering if my contentment is turning to complacency. I’ve been second guessing my decision to go to She Speaks. Is it a place for the small?
Beautiful. I love these truths. Perfecting timing; perfect encouragement.
Love,
Sharon
Beautiful. I love these truths. Perfecting timing; perfect encouragement.
Love,
Sharon
I’m sitting here in tears because God loves me so much that He nudged me to come here this morning and read a message from Him, through you, straight to my heart. He has me in a place – were I feel small. It’s not what I’m good at, it’s not what I have a gift for, I’m not even sure I’m ever useful in this place. I have already spent a good portion of the morning making my husband suffer through my pity party. I cannot believe this is what you wrote today. Thank you for speaking His truths into my life.
THanks Lysa…it is like you spoke to me today. I have been wondering why my husband got a disease and had to leave teaching, why I had to let go of a farm and move to a mobile home, why my book didn’t take off like I hoped it would…you have shown me that even small can still become a dream. I appreciate these words. Please check out my website if you can.
Malinda
Man, that was refreshing today!!!!! That is a perspective that I’ve never heard put in that way….impeccable timing, beautifully written! That is some stellar encouragement! Thank you for sharing Lysa!
Thank you so much for sharing this – it was a real encouragement!
Wounderful message,simple presentation___best yet for me.
Ruth Ellen
Thank you so much Lysa. I was really smarting this morning as a friend (and ex-colleague) had commented that she wondered if my new job was “boring”. This is despite the fact that God has blessed me with the peace in knowing that I am in the right job at this moment in time.
It’s worth being one of those who “greatness see in little things” (see http://www.justsomelyrics.com/650299/Runrig-Running-to-the-Light-Lyrics)
Thank you so, sooo much for your words of wisdom and upliftment at just the right time. My God continue to use you to reach people like us that sometimes feels so insignificant. God’s Grace and Mercies be yours always!!!!!
God has been so faithful to us. We had to “size” down a few years ago, from a beautiful custom home with full horse facility, including heated decorated tack room, etc to now an older mobilehome with rough additions, nestled on the side of cedar covered hill. We recently sold our last horse and put the old, old mare out to permanent pasture. The trade……a peace that passes all understanding. God has ministered His love to us in bountiful, measureless treasures. Next month will mark four years that our son has been gone. God meets us where we need to be met. I will gaze out the same window he did four years ago as he called me to tell me it’s a beautiful day, the lilacs are blooming, the birds are singing, it’s a great day mom. Just a few weeks later he was gone.
Thank you Lord for your peace.
I have several “small” ministries. And one big ministry (wife and mom). And I’m okay with that. All I know to do is write, and pray that God will bring the right people to read it. He’s big like that. He can do it.
How wonderful to wake up to this! It spoke to my heart and gave me clearer understanding of how the Lord is working. The line that I love is “small is what keeps us FOR the grand vision”. The blessing is that even when we don’t realize it God loves us enough to save us again and again, especially from ourselves.
Thank you for the wisdom!
Girl — this spoke to my small place so very much! And in such a precious way. From a girl who once chased after the BIG and who has brushed up against the BIG, I am learning to be content right here — where the Lord has me. This is my place of growth with Him. This is where I will prepare my heart and mind for the Next, whatever that Next may be – big or small.
I’m learning to be content in wherever He has me — and I’m always in His presence and that is always HUGE!
Love your heart!
Lysa,
Thank you so much for posting this…the Lord used it to speak so powerfully to my heart this afternoon. Your ministry is such a blessing!
Susan
Lysa your lessons become my lessons. God is good!
Lysa, you have penned another one and wrote it perfectly. I tossed and turned last night after hearing some horrifying news, but that news validated some pretty ugly feelings I had been having for the last year and half about this person. The first thing you want to do is to go and do something about it. Naturally, you want to shout. “See. I didn’t do this. I didn’t orchestrate what happened. She did it. She’s the culprit. It’s all her fault.” But there was something (or should I say Someone) in my tossing last night that let me know, that kept saying “uh-uh-uh.” My “fork in the road” as you so eloquently put it. He never said being still would be easy. He just says “Be still and know I am God,” for “[He] will be exalted” and that’s what I plan to do. Thank you for your words. Thank You, Lord, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Ps. 4:8)
Lysa, you have penned another one and wrote it perfectly. I tossed and turned last night after hearing some horrifying news, but that news validated some pretty ugly feelings I had been having for the last year and half about this person. The first thing you want to do is to go and do something about it. Naturally, you want to shout. “See. I didn’t do this. I didn’t orchestrate what happened. She did it. She’s the culprit. It’s all her fault.” But there was something (or should I say Someone) in my tossing last night that let me know, that kept saying “uh-uh-uh.” My “fork in the road” as you so eloquently put it. He never said being still would be easy. He just says “Be still and know I am God,” for “[He] will be exalted” and that’s what I plan to do. Thank you for your words. Thank You, Lord, “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Ps. 4:8)
Lysa, I’m just reading this today. Oh how I love the Lord’s timing! I can’t wait to let my husband read this when he wakes up. He’s searching for a civilian job after serving in the Army for 21 years. He recently was turned down for a job for which he was interviewed. We both know it was for our good, BUT your blog will help him understand more clearly. Thank you!
I used to joke that I was last in line when the Lord was passing out humility because I struggled with it. Today I will rejoice in my small. I’ve been blogging for 28 days in a blogathon and felt I didn’t have any spectacular results. Yet, I see I was faithful. Thank you.
Lysa…so beautifully written…so true. You have such a gift of writing….
thank you for sharing with us.
Very timely message for me Lysa thank you for continuing to allow him to use you and following His voice.
{wiping the tears from my eyes}
I have no idea how many blog readers you have, but that felt like it was written just for me.
Thank you!!
Please tell Sue H that transitioning military can attend free webinars to help them with their employment needs. They can register at http://www.TurboTAP.org. I facilitate some of the courses and would love to see if we can assist her husband finding a job in the civilian sector.
This was a great blog for me to read- God is up to something in my life and it is almost like he users your posts to speak truth into my life. Thank You for your obedience to God
Laura’s post was dead on. So valuable and so being used to encourage us. Thank you.
This really spoke to my heart as an encouragement from the Lord. I have been seeking God for quite a while to produce in me the humility of Jesus. The Lord has also led me into starting a ministry to the urban poor which He has granted much favor to but the ministry is still small with those who have the vision of Christ for this at my church. Just this morning as I was praying I believed the Lord imparted to me that He was teaching me humility and abandonment to Him thru this ministry. Then I read this post…. Great is Thy faithfulness Lord God!!
Thanks for this. Tears came this morning as I realized this is God’s direct word for me today. He is taking me to “small” and I can’t say I like it. This gave me a new perspective.
God has truly changed my heart to wish for the “small.”
How true, how true! I just spoke yesterday of how I learned to live the simple life. I know that to appreciate the “grand vision” I am working towards, I had to experience the simple (small world) I have experienced the last 7 years! Others can’t understand how I made it…but I know! God above took care of me and pulled me from the lowest of lows while never leaving me! I look at so many God has blessed and how they have destroyed their lives with vanity, fame, money and other evils…I’m so proud that I have humility and live the simple life! Thank you for your message!