Notice the Little Things

He asked that he might die, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” 

1 Kings 19:4b-5 (NRSVUE)

I think that people forget how rough the prophets really had it. They were hated, run out of town, and under threat of constant physical harm and even death. Elijah in this story was no exception. After totaling defeating and shaming the priests of Baal, attempting to put the people of God back on the right path, Elijah was told the royal family were coming for him. On the run, tired and hungry, Elijah asks God for death. 

God doesn’t give Elijah death, but rather a nap, a meal, and a drink. The food was so good and rejuvenating that Elijah was then able to travel forty days and nights. I’ll have what he’s having! I’ll admit it, I’ve given myself to dramatics. I’ve never been under threat of death from a monarch that I’ve spoken to with the truth, to be fair, but I bet that like me you’ve had some pretty bad days. Days where nothing seemed to go right, everything that could go wrong went wrong, and you were left looking around like, “What’s even the point?!”

Often, we can want the actions of God to be these large, grandiose expressions. A snap of the fingers and all our problems have been fixed as we ride into the sunset towards a life free from hardship. This isn’t how things go. It’s been quite a while since God chose to reveal Himself as column of fire settling on the tabernacle. This is not to say that God isn’t still able to perform miracles, but if we focus too much on wanting an over-the-top expression of God’s power we can lose sight of the signs and signals in life that God has provided us every day. In doing so we can lose the blessings that come from a life of quiet appreciation and small mercies.

 A beautiful sunrise as we commute to work. The laughter shared among a community over a meal. The grace and love involved in forgiving, or in being forgiven. There are so many little things that we experience constantly. And if we’re willing to listen and pay attention, we can hear the gentle voice of God saying, not even audibly but still ever clearly, “I love you.”

No matter how stressful or terrifying things may seem, I hope that we are able to take a lesson from Elijah. Sometimes, the love of God is manifested in the little things; taking a second, slowing down, and allowing ourselves to see all the beautiful things that God has created. 

And maybe even having a little nap, too. 

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