Millions of Small Things
BY KIM COLEMAN | January 1, 2024
Sunday’s Readings
“Do your part and trust God to do the rest.”
Lori Stanley
Ever the perfectionist, this sentiment from our winter staff retreat with Lori Stanley, executive director of the Loyola Institute for Spirituality, stuck with me.
I’d been feeling guilty about my piddly efforts to prepare my son Jack to experience the miracle of Christmas. Our Advent has not been profound in the liturgical sense; it has been filled with the wonder and hustle and bustle of Christmas with a four-year-old.
“Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.”
John O’Donohue
The night after the retreat, as I tucked my son into bed, he asked me about the cross bracelet Lori had gifted to each of us. It was a tiny invitation to talk more about God, and Jesus, and most importantly, how thoroughly God loves him and all of us. It might have been a stalling tactic on my son’s part, but it felt like a profound moment—a tiny miracle and an opportunity to nudge him towards the beautiful words of Col 3:12-14:
“Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.”
I often find myself expectantly waiting on God to perform miracles as done for Abraham and Sarah, and I often get down on myself for not performing miracles of my own when the world is in need of so many. As much as I know that I am not God, that voice of white supremacy culture seeps in, “It must be perfect to have value.”
As I enter into 2024, I pray that it is with this reminder that, like Abram, God is with me. I just need to keep showing up and opening the doors that God keeps nudging open. I need to keep witnessing these everyday tiny miracles.
“The world will be solved by millions of small things.”
Pete Seeger
Kim Coleman is the Integrated Marketing Director for the Ignatian Solidarity Network.
Hello Kim,
Thank you for your article here contained.
As a mother/grandmother I followed your thoughts and reflection until I stopped at the words “that voice of white supremacy culture seeps in” and then you lost me. You seem to put yourself and others down for what God has made! Why not live and teach that precious son you speak of to embrace the life that you mention in Col.3:12-14?
Don’t let that unique opportunity at life formation and mentorship for your son be lost in negativity. You have much to offer. Do small things with great love-no matter the skin color—and with much gratitude. We not only witness the daily tiny miracles. We are, along with all others, these tiny miracles of Love.
Blessings in your and your family’s future.
In staying with my son after a traumatic accident, his wife and Maeve and Ayla, I was often surprised by their goodness to me. They reminded me that God was with me. First thing in the morning my son brought me coffee, that is, before he had his. He performed this act with such devotion and kindness each day before he went to work. Caitlin, his wife would make the best lunches always with the healhiest fruits and vegatables, made to look like it was for a magazine of Martha Stewart. It was tenderly done with care in a way that reminded me of how Mary served Jesus.
Maeve and Ayla their children, would make sure they saw me before they went to school with smiles and love on their faces. They would often put toys at the end of the bed to keep me company during the day. There was an explanation of why those toys were for that day.
As Kim story reminds us it is the many little things that happen throughout the day that remind us that God is with us, watching over us but even more creating a sense of God in the home through those many little acts of kindness that welcomed Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
I don’t know much about “white supremacy culture” owning the idea that only a perfect thing has value. I try to avoid labeling. I can think of people of any race urging or demanding their children do their best, excel in one thing or another so that they might win a scholarship, triumph in sports or gain admission to a prestigious college. The virtue of humility, the goodness of cooperation, the desirability of teamwork are also taught or inculcated by parents, teachers and coaches–and leaders in politics and the military.What is also seldom heard of except by some people of faith is that God gives initiative and grace to all human efforts, and that humans were once told that they woild do greater things than even Jesus did in his public life. The positive growth in wisdom and maturity, the countless acts of courage, generosity and unselfishmess by many people who are not honored in public histories, these little things make up part of God’s dream for the fulfillment of creation.
As much as I know that I am not God, that voice of white supremacy culture seeps in, “It must be perfect to have value.” stopped me in my tracks. Why on earth would you digress from your great reflection to go down the “white supremacist” rabbit hole? Appropriately, you use God and ws in the same sentence – both are acts of faith, not provable fact.
Let us keep our sense of awe and wonder. Then every day we will see something to marvel at in creation.
No matter what happens, God is for ever creating anew to love us, protect us and keep us healthy.
We have only to do our part and ask and show daily gratitude.
The Lord is kind and merciful. Praise the Lord.