Erica and the Silverware
By Debbie Lowe
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men …” Colossians 3:23
Six-year-old Erica came to me as I was busily chopping vegetables at the kitchen sink, asking, “Mom, can I help you make dinner?” Since she wasn’t yet tall enough to see over the counter, I declined her offer but suggested, “You could set the table; that would be a big help.”
Unhappy with my response, she pouted. She wanted to help cook. She wanted to do something she enjoyed, something she felt was important. Setting the table wasn’t anything important.
Over the years I’ve reflected on this incident. How I wanted to do “great things” for You, Lord. How I wanted to share Your love with those who don’t know You (in the forum of my choice), to encourage those who know You to get to know You better, to be salt to them, to help them realize their constant thirsting is not for more things, but for more of You: the only One who can quench the thirst, satisfy the longings, fill the gaping void.
But the time hadn’t yet arrived. I was still in “wait training.” You were, in effect, asking me to set the table. So with sad resignation (sometimes accompanied by a pout), I accepted the task immediately before me and “set the table.”
As I think about Erica’s unhappy response that night, I cannot help but think how I would have been blessed by a cheerful “Yes, Mommy, I’ll set the table for you!” If with a willing, positive attitude she had agreed to help in the way I asked.
How many times has my own pouting brought sadness (and probably frustration) to Your heart? Often I cannot see the value in doing the little things, things that seem to be of “lesser” importance. Now I realize that cheerful, humble obedience in doing the task in front of me, as insignificant as that task may seem to me, blesses Your heart. And blessing Your heart is definitely the more “important” thing.
© Debbie Lowe, 2017
Debbie Lowe is a blogger, speaker, and writer. Her desire is to encourage women to wholeheartedly trust God in every area of their lives. She has served in women’s ministries and as Deacon of Worship at Grace Fellowship Church in North Stonington, CT. Debbie and her husband have two grown daughters and nine grandchildren. She enjoys reading (especially at the beach) and playing in the dirt (aka, gardening). Visit Debbie online at debbielowe.org or on Facebook at Debbie Lowe - Life Lessons. Debbie is also one of our featured speakers in the by design Speakers Directory. If you are looking for a Christian speaker for your special event, please visit our online directory or contact us to request a hard copy.