Glorify God In Small Things

Whatever you do today, do it with a heart of Thanksgiving.

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and not long ago Ken took me on my first restaurant outing. COVID restrictions were loosening up, and my husband figured it was okay to venture out. Now, this was back when the weather was a little warmer in California, and local restaurants were still serving on patios and parking lots. So! On a sunny Saturday morning, Ken wheeled my chair into the van, tied it down, and off we drove to the brand-new Cracker Barrel restaurant in nearby Camarillo. Now you need to know that I love Cracker Barrel – not everything on the menu – but I did order my favorite, the vegetable plate. I love their green beans, their boiled down turnip greens. But the real treat? Ken let me enjoy the crispy edges of his pancakes. Cracker Barrel flips them on a hot grill coated with butter. Ooh! It was a simple brunch, but, oh, our hearts were filled to overflowing with gratitude, and there, right under the canopy outside the restaurant, as we were enjoying our meal, we kept saying out loud: “Thank you, Jesus,” over and over.

Now, we do not always do that when visiting other Cracker Barrels at other times. But this – oh, my goodness – it’s the season of coronavirus; and so, small blessings, little gifts, short outings, even a humble brunch at a restaurant – well, it just means more. And as we expressed our gratitude to God with nearly every bite of pancake, I felt as though it were a moment from 1 Corinthians 10:31. “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Isn’t it amazing how the smallest of things can stretch your soul’s capacity for gratitude to the Lord?! I mean, don’t you agree that that’s one of the unexpected blessings to come out of this strange season of COVID-19? 1 Corinthians 10 should be a way of life for us all, whatever we do. We should do everything – all of it – to the glory of God. But sometimes it takes a scarcity of comfort, a drought, a dearth of those things we normally enjoy to wake us up. It’s during seasons of little that we realize how sweet every blessing is. And that’s what our brief outing at Cracker Barrel – that’s why it was so meaningful.

And it was so wonderfully fulfilling; such a delightful morning; oh, that trip! I think it’s because joy always follows gratitude. Joy in the Lord is always linked to a thankful heart. And so, whether you are in the flush of your youth today or you have advanced in the twilight years of older age – all that we are and all the choices we make must be for his glory. Because Lord knows, we need a little joy right now, right? So if you are out of sorts what with this coronavirus bouncing up and down, follow the lead of 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “Be thankful in all circumstances [not just some, but all of them], for this is God’s will concerning you.”

Yep, this is a circumstance in which we can and should be thankful this coronavirus. And if you do have the opportunity to venture out, to a park or the patio of a sandwich shop or even the canopied parking lot next to a Cracker Barrel, be thankful. Be grateful. And when you eat and drink, glorify God by acknowledging him out loud, right there at the table; let him and others know how blessed you feel. It’s good advice as we work our way through this virus, and I trust these few words strengthen your faith today, because I’m praying God will lead you to glorify him in all, all of your small things! I invite you to visit joniandfriends.org.

© Joni and Friends