Appreciating the Small and the Now

Pay attention to the small things. SJG photo.

“The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.”
– Jon Kabat-Zinn

When I was a young man, I think I lived day to day waiting for the “big thing” to happen. I raced to the mailbox at the end of the day (imagine relying on such an antiquated source of information and news!) to see what it might hold for me that might change my life — a  letter from an editor wanting to publish something I’d written or a breakthrough song, perhaps, one great hit to be recorded by the likes of Garth Brooks or Tricia Yearwood.

I don’t necessarily think that was wasted energy or ambition, for it likely pushed me to keep writing and keep trying, but what I learned over the years is that such big ambition might have blinded me to the power of all the little things happening in my life. I learned to define success on different terms, with an eye toward how God was working in my life and how I might be working in the lives of others in small, seemingly insignificant ways.

If I only defined success in terms of how many books I sold or how large the circulation of the magazine that published my work, I might have grown disappointed in myself and in my work. I might have just stopped writing because it wasn’t big enough. I might have thought it was insignificant that a person wrote to tell me how one short 200-word reflection gave her the courage to get out of bed and find solace in her faith in the midst of difficulty. I might have missed that.

If I only defined success in terms of royalty statements and gold records, I would REALLY would have been disappointed and would have put away my guitar many years ago. But I would have missed the camaraderie of my musical partners and bandmates, cramped in my basement rehearsing so we could play for a handful of people. I would have missed writing songs that have challenged me and a few others to live lives of faith and that have been used to help celebrate baptisms, weddings and funerals. Small events, a few people. But in offering these creations freely from what I received freely, they became bigger things in that moment, at least for a few people. I might have missed that.

Delaney May Givens. SJG photo.

Like many, I was impatient and restless as a young person. My favorite prayer was something along the lines of, “That was fun. What’s next?” What I learned as I grew older was the importance of savoring the gift of the present and the little. Last night I held my granddaughter Laney when she awoke crying and sang her the old folk song called “Hobo’s Lullaby” that I sang to both of my kids years ago: “Go to sleep you weary hobo, let the towns drift slowly by…”  (often attributed to Woody Guthrie but written by a man named Goebel Reeves). I was struck by the power of that moment because it was small and quiet and no one else witnessed it, and yet it crossed generations and originated with someone who would never know its impact for me and Laney right at that moment. She fell asleep before I got to the second verse, but I kept singing, more for me than for her.

What we learn as we grow older is that maybe God does have big things in mind for us and we need to be ready if they arrive. We need to be as prepared as we can be to grasp the reins and take charge if they do, accepting the challenge as both a gift and an opportunity to do big things with what God has given. But we also need to accept and savor the small moments because they are far more numerous and are really not small at all. We don’t get to define the impact we make, we just have to do the work and recognize the moment and the movement of God within it. Or as my fellow St. Louisan T.S. Eliot once wrote: “For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.”

Some may see all this as giving up too soon and not trying hard enough for the big win or profit. I would have been a lousy entrepreneur, I suppose. But I choose to see it all as great freedom.

9 comments On Appreciating the Small and the Now

  • So true how the small seemingly insignificant events and things in life are the ones that are most important. Thank you for the much needed reminder. I have 4 grandchildren of my own and love spending time with them. Beautiful picture of your sweet granddaughter. Dot

  • What you said is so true. As we get older we get to take even more time to appreciate those special moments with our children and grandchildren. As Mother Theresa said “God didn’t call us to be successful, he called us to be faithful”. So many times in life I find myself being a “Martha” and always busy doing things. I have tried very hard also though to be more like “Mary” in my life and take time to spend time with Our Lord. Thank you for staying with your music and writing. I have enjoyed both of them over the years and look forward to enjoying them in the future. I still use your CDs for my Lenten talk at RCIA. Your music and stories will live on in those of us who have heard them. Thanks for all you do Steve!

  • You hit the mark again. As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized it’s really the small things that matter. There have been many monumental things in my life, but the small things made me who I am.

  • I really loved your reflection,Steve.I truly believe in the simple things in life,spirituality and spending time with the people you love.To me,that’s the truly beautiful essence of life

  • Thanks for writing, Karen. It’s a good way to go…

  • Thanks, as always, Jim. Glad this connected with you.

  • Thanks, Debbie. I’m glad our lives have crossed and hope they will continue to do so from time to time….

  • Thanks, Dot…Grandchildren are the best gift of later life….

  • Ther there are few things that can compare to the realization of being able to comprehend The Majestic capacity of us as Servants of God to see him in everything around us. There is great times and there are ordinary times but in all things God is present it is only he or she whose mind is set on the things of God that sees this. It is by the grace of God that I came across this posting and I rejoice in it. Thank you.

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