Life's Little Things

 I just finished a small chore, you know, one of those everyday things like emptying the dishwasher or folding undershirts. It took just a few minutes, gave me a small dose of satisfaction, and no one but me thought about the fact that it needed to be done and was done. It was not important. At least it was not important to anyone but me. Or was it?

If all of us stopped doing all those hidden chores, we would soon discover the order, peace, and loveliness that we take for granted would begin to unravel before our eyes. Our homes would fill with disorder, trash, and discomfort. Those little things might not be so little after all.

Going deeper, I noticed that I didn't mind doing that little chore. I owned that chore. It gave me a certain pleasure. I looked forward to doing it, but I also looked forward to the day when I might not be able to do it any longer. When sickness or old age or unexpected poverty or loss would take that small pleasure from me forever. I would miss it.

We take in blessings like we breathe air. Do we think often enough not about our aches and pains, but about our comforts and pleasures? I can still see. There was a time when I couldn't hear. Surgery has restored much of it to me, so of that blessing I am acutely conscious. I strained by foot last spring. It took four months to get back to normal. How quickly I forgot that my foot didn't always feel as good as it does now.

I am trying to make a practice of expressing gratitude, not just for obvious things, but for the things that are just there all the time. It took a mission trip to serve Mexico's City's garbage dump people to become grateful that every time I turn on the faucet water flows out--water that is abundant, clean, and any temperature I desire. Take any one of those three things away and taking a shower becomes not a routine, but a hurdle.

Spending time reviewing my blessings has made me more peaceful and content. It has humbled me to admit I expect undeserved things. It has also made me more aware of the good in people around me. It makes me smile more. It draws me closer to the Giver. Because the One who cares about me, also cares about life's little things too.