The Little Big Things

Sometimes, a little event in our lives can lead us to achieve a big purpose. Like the little girl who helped me learn some big lessons!

Last week was my “worst week” in school. Despite how hard I was trying, I was performing badly in my courses. I got home very disappointed.

As I was having my lunch, my 7-year-old cousin approached me with a girl playmate about his age. I asked them if they had eaten. My cousin nodded, but the little girl sadly answered, “No.” Then I remembered that somebody had told me her family sometimes went hungry.

I felt ashamed of myself at that moment. There I was, a student worrying about grades, while she was just trying to survive. As I thought about the situation, I began to quickly realize several things.

Realization 1: “Worrying” is focusing too much attention on the wrong things.

My thoughts went something like this: I need good grades to graduate. I need to graduate to find a good job. I need to have a good job to have a stable life. These are all important things, but they are all temporary. They are nothing compared to what God has prepared for all of us. Instead of worrying, I should look forward to my future with God.

God doesn’t like worrying because it’s the opposite of trusting in Him. He’s in control and He cares for all of us. Worrying doesn’t really accomplish anything; it just becomes a mental burden that can negatively affect us.

So, instead of worrying, let us do what we can, then cast our burdens on God and He shall sustain us (Psalm 55:22).

Realization 2: There are more reasons to be thankful than to be anxious.

As we grow older each day, sometimes we wish we could go back to our dolls-and-robots days when everything was a lot simpler. Sometimes we are so busy dealing with the consequences of growing up that we forget to just stop for a while and be thankful for the blessings we have.

We can start with considering that our loved ones are there for us and that God loves us unconditionally. All these and more are reasons we should be thankful for the life God has given us. Yes, this can be a hard and complicated life, but all the pain will end. God assures us of that in Revelation 21:4!

Let’s be like that little girl I met. She kept on living, thankful for each day. Count your blessings, not your worries.

Realization 3: God has a reason and purpose for everything.

For every tear, we should always remember that God is in charge. We’ve got to trust Him because He loves us, and He will never let us down! The burdens we carry might seem like too much, but in His time and with His reason and purpose, everything will make sense in the end.

From the day God made us, He has never taken His eyes off us. He knows us inside and out, so He knows what to do—always. After my “worst week,” I’m still uncertain what to do, but one thing I’m sure of is that God has prepared great things for me ahead!

Back to the little girl

After all these realizations came to my mind, I offered what was left of my lunch to the little girl. She sincerely thanked me.

I can’t forget the smile she wore as she went home that day. I forgot my disappointment and felt fulfilled that day. I prayed and decided to stop worrying because God is in charge. That little encounter indeed had a big purpose.

God has our best interests at heart. We are all being shaped by our successes and failures. Without them, we would not be who we are today or who we need to grow to be tomorrow. Without God, we are nothing; but with His help, we can achieve big things in the end!

Kathlyn Mae Tiu is currently a freshman studying chemical engineering. She attends the Bacolod, Philippines, congregation.