Life Is in the Details – Sunday, March 02, 1997
A popular phrase today is “don’t sweat the small stuff.” but, in fact, life is made-up of small stuff – little details that combine, like stitches in a tapestry, to make a work of art.
Think of the little things that have meant so much to you – the encouragement you still remember from a teacher or coach; the compliment made you believe in your abilities; the flowers or phone call that arrived just as you were feeling it you were lowest; the bedtime stories whispered in your ear; the uncle who took you to the carnival; the babysitter who let you make green eggs and ham; the neighbor who never forgets your birthday.
To the giver, these little moments seem almost insignificant. But, to the receiver, the ever so small can be infinitely important when done just at the right moment. Small events can make a difference in whom we marry, what career we choose, and what we do with our lives.
Christ spoke of faith – the size of a grain of mustard seed being able to move mountains.1 He also said, “… out of small things proceedeth that which is great.”2 Little things don’t take much effort, yet the dividends are enormous: a loving note tucked into a child’s lunchbox, a cup of hot chocolate brought to a teenager who staying up late to study, trash cans brought in for a neighbor, a few minutes rubbing the shoulders of a weary spouse. Very small act of kindness indelibly etches us into the heart of another.
It’s the little things our children see us do that — many times — leave the greatest impression, and they learn wonderful patterns for life. A boy can learn kindness when he sees his father being gentle with the family pet. A girl who sees her mother take a meal to a family down the road learns an important lesson in generosity. A teenager can start a life of service as he observes his parents volunteer their precious time in the community.
Don’t hold back because you think your gift is meaningless. Remember the details of your own life tapestry – some of the smallest events were some of your most important moments. If one candle can light a thousand others, one act of kindness can, indeed, make the world of difference to someone else.
1 New Testament, Matthew 17:20.
2 Doctrine and Covenants, 64:33.
March 02, 1997
Broadcast Number 3,524