Family Faith and Fun Fridays: How to Get a Big Job Done

His automatic response- “I’m too small to do that!”
Funny- he’s spent much of his life up to this point trying to convince us he that he is big enough to do things.

 But these days, if the Lego pieces are scattered by the 100s across the room or if the garbage cans look too full, he’s quickly convinced that he’s not the boy for the task.

So today, this verse in Proverbs stirred up an idea for this mom who is growing weary of I can’ts–

“Four things on earth are small. But they are very wise. The first are ants. They aren’t very strong. But they store up their food in the summer…”(Prov. 30:24-25)– I decided to use those tiny picnic crashers to inspire my smallest boy. 

We found an anthill on the edge of our road and sprinkled a tablespoon of sugar around it. Then, we watched as one by one the ants emerged from their home and began to carry away their food for winter, one granule at a time.

We marveled that creatures so small would even attempt a task so large, wondered how minute mites could move a mountain of sugar.

It seemed like a daunting task. But those tiny ants simply carried what they could-a speck of white- over and over again.

I reminded Joshua that the best way to get a big job done is to tackle it in small steps. Even the greatest of tasks begins with one small decision- to do what you can. Over and over again if necessary.

Can a five-year-old boy with ten healthy fingers pick up a handful of Legos? Yes. And eventually those handfuls turn into hundreds of little blocks plucked from the bedroom floor and returned to their rightful crate in the closet.

As we watched those industrious little ants move methodically across the cement, I shared with my kids some Biblical examples of big jobs done by small people. 

*When David faced Goliath, he could have declared the job too big or scary. But instead, he took one small stone and flung it forth with a prayer.

*When Nehemiah rebuilt the temple walls, the job seemed gigantic- too big for a small crew of people. But God’s children just re-constructed that wall one brick at a time.

*When Jesus met the masses’ needs, He could have been overwhelmed by the swarms of desperation that surrounded Him wherever He went. But He just loved people one by one. Healing. Touching. Encouraging the face that was before Him. Over and over again until His steps led Him to the cross.

Every BIG accomplishment begins with a one small step.

Just ask the ants! They know.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends.