So what's the big deal? Did someone hurt your feelings? Did you miss out on an opportunity? Did things not go quite the way you thought they would? Was it really that big of a deal?
Or maybe you got left behind. Maybe a check bounced, you got a speeding ticket or you lost a library book. Maybe someone missed your birthday. Maybe you forgot someone's birthday. Big deal. Right?
Did you lose something important? Does your back hurt a little? Have you gained a little weight? Is your pet sick, your car worn out, your vision waning, your cupboard bare, your bank account short on funds, or your work coming up short? Is that all?
Did your newborn keep you up all night? Is your terrible two year old pitching tantrums at Target? Is your preschooler pushing your limits? Does your grade schooler have two projects to do this weekend and a ballgame to boot? Is your middle schooler trying to grow up too fast? Does your high schooler want a car, a new phone, a tatoo? Is that all?
Are you worried about your aging parents, your kid at college, your single sister, your divorced friend? Do you have too much work to do? Are you out of work? Are you moving or do you wish you could? Really now. Is that all?
The truth is most of the stuff that overwhelms us could seem less than underwhelming to other people. They might not understand why we're fretting, crying, or freaking out. The burdens that weigh us down may seem feather light to someone else. And the situations that confuse us may seem much less confounding to others.
And that can frustrate us all the more.
What's the big deal? Well my hurts and pains and problems and losses may not be a subject worth even mentioning to someone else. In fact, I rarely express aloud many of the "little" things that weigh me down on any given day. But this I know: my God will never ask "What's the big deal?"
He doesn't minimize my issues. He may help me put them in perspective. Mercy me, let's hope so! That's exactly what I need Him to do most of the time...simply put it all into perspective. But He'll never make me feel like the things that bother me are trivial or unworthy or dumb or frivolous.
But in case you doubt that your small potatoes are worthy of God's attention, you might want to pray along with the Levites in Nehemiah 9:32:
Now therefore, our God,
The great, the mighty, and awesome God,
Who keeps covenant and mercy:
Do not let all the trouble seem small before You
That has come upon us.
Indeed our God is great and mighty and awesome and faithful and merciful. And He is the best One to whom we can carry our every problem - big or small. He will never let our troubles seem small before Him. Instead He will treat us with dignity and love and goodness.
Do you have a "no big deal" kind of problem that you've hesitated to take before such a big and mighty God? Believe me, you can trust Him with whatever burdens you today. No problem is too big...or too small.
Labels: Walk Through the Bible