October 2021
Tom loved to teach. Even in his last few months, when he could hardly walk and mostly slept through the day, Tom looked forward to teaching Priority Living or the occasional Sunday. As Tom walked up to the podium to share God’s word, he would transform into a younger man and his pain became nearly non-existent. Teaching God’s word put him on the mountain top and, oh, how God used Tom in extraordinary ways!
But what about all the other moments in Tom’s life? What about the daily grind, the boring – the vast majority of his time? Yep, Tom’s life was full of common, everyday minutes of seemingly mundane nothingness. In other words, Tom’s life was pretty ordinary.
Now that I am back in Phoenix and getting into my groove, I find that I am conscious of the obscure, insignificant, little things that make up my days, my weeks . . . my life. And then, I begin to wonder if they really matter. Do all those million little things that you and I do each and every day make a difference?
Brushing our teeth,
Having coffee,
Putting the dishes in the dishwasher,
Taking out the trash,
Sorting through the mail,
Glancing at emails,
Clicking into our phones for everything and anything,
Watching TV,
And on and on and on . . .
Do they matter? YES!
Why? Because it is in these moments, the seemingly irrelevant nothings, that God does amazing things. It is in these moments that the Holy Spirit speaks to us in quiet whispers. It is in these moments we demonstrate obedience and faithfulness. It is in these moments we learn endurance and perseverance. It is in these moments we live out our gratitude for all Jesus has done for us. It is in these moments that we are salt and light in the world.
The obscure, the insignificant, the mundane – these, my friends, are the moments that show our character and who we truly are, as a child of the One, True, God. And God uses these nothings in mighty ways.
Like when Moses was tending sheep and God spoke through the burning bush.
Like when the angel came to Mary to tell her she would bear a Son.
Like when in 2004, as I was driving in St Louis, Missouri and Jesus became my Lord and Savior.
Like when Tom went to a lunchtime bible study taught by Larry Wright and God changed the trajectory of Tom’s life.
It’s in the ordinary that we see how big God really is. It is in the ordinary that we live out our faith in Jesus. It is in the ordinary that we show our character - the thoughts, the actions, the choices we make when we think no one is looking. It is in the ordinary that we demonstrate what it is to be an ambassador for God.
This January will mark three years since Tom took his first breath with Jesus. Tom’s teaching is greatly missed. But, for me and our family, it is the million little things Tom did, day in and day out, that we miss the most. We miss Tom’s quirks, his wit, his unique way of seeing humanity. We miss the ordinary, the everyday that showed Tom’s heart, personality, and most importantly, Tom’s love for Jesus. Tom’s million moments added up to a life lived for God’s glory.
Although I have shared this link before, here’s a link to Tom’s very last teaching in 2018. It is so amazing to see Tom teach God’s word in the midst of his pain. Tom also talks about the ordinary days of slugging it out; https://scottsdalebible.com/messages/shepherds/ (Jamie introduces Tom at 24:35 mins)
How about you? Do your million little moments line up and shout – I am a child of God? Do they all come together in praise for God, His grace, and His gift of life through Jesus? Maybe it is time to start today by;
taking a minute to respond to an email or text with a simple, “Hey! You are pretty special!”
sending a card to someone, even if they never send you one back.
setting down your phone and actually having a conversation.
calling that friend you haven’t spoken to in a while.
taking a minute to thank God for all He has given you.
You know, if right here, right now, we strive for His kingdom by doing all our million mundane things for His glory, we could transform the world – making it like heaven on earth.