Small Things

When my dad was nearing the end of his life he began searching his heart to see if there was anything left undone - some unconfessed sin, a misdeed, anything at all he needed to make right before he faced God. He constantly prayed that the Holy Spirit would bring to his remembrance anything he needed to make right with his fellowman. It was during this time that he came across a rusty old garden tiller at the edge of his garden. It belonged to a farmer down the road who had sold it to Dad, but, when it didn't work, the farmer returned his money to him and told Dad just to bring it back any time.

"I thought I took this back years ago," he told my mother as he pulled the tiller out of the mass of weeds.

"Well, I know you meant to do so," Mom replied. "It never did work. Just haul it to the dump and forget it."

"It doesn't belong to me," Dad responded and started cleaning the tiller up, breaking it free from the years of corrosion and debris. Finally, he loaded it on to his pickup truck and drove to the farmer's house. The man was surprised to say the least when Dad showed up with the forgotten tiller after so many years. When Dad apologized and offered to pay him for it, the man responded with tears in his eyes, "Why, that thing never was any good! I am the one who tried to cheat you. You are an honest man."

When talking with him about the incident a few days later I remarked. "Dad, that was such a small thing! Surely you don't think God required you to take that old tiller back to him?"

"I don't rightly know," Dad acknowledged. "But when you pray and things like this happen, it's best not to take chances on missing out on receiving or being a blessing." Then his beautiful blue eyes misted with unshed tears, "And besides, I want to hear Jesus say, 'Well done'."

Small things. As I have learned to walk with God through the years, He has taught me how one small act of obedience can lead to major blessings. The Bible tells us: "Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones." (Luke 16:10 NLT).

It is the little things that can add spice to or spoil your life. Solomon said, "the little foxes spoil the vine."

- That "little white lie" does hurt.
- "What they don't know" may not hurt them -- but could very well hurt YOU.
- The clerk gave you to much change? It does not belong to you. Return it.
- Two cokes came out of the machine when you paid for only one? Return the other to the vendor.
- Did "something" tell you to perform an act of kindness to a stranger? Do it without question.
- Learn to be faithful in the little things that (seemingly) do not matter.

Just little things. Just insignificant matters. But, it is when we are faithful in the small matters that God entrusts us with more. Be assured God will not use you to change the world until you have been faithful in the small things in your own house, on your own street, in your own town. Listen to the Holy Spirit within you. Be obedient to his gentle nudgings. God wants to know that he can count on you to obey him in seemingly insignificant matters simply because he brings it to your attention. It may seem like a "small thing" to you, but truth is, nothing is "small stuff" to him.

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." Mother Teresa

Linda Van Fleet is a freelance inspirational writer specializing in articles and features on Christian lifestyle topics, angels, Internet and social issues. Linda has 2 children and three grandchildren. Visit http://ibelieveinangels.com for great stories of faith, inspiration and angels.

after renovation cleaning Highland Park ...

In The News:

The OlloNi SS1 AI robot pet uses a 4K camera and facial recognition to learn your family, but its removable Red Heart memory module raises questions.

Nine identity theft warning signs range from unfamiliar credit inquiries to SIM swap attacks that can quietly drain your bank account funds.

Robot.com's R-dog uses articulated legs and wheels to climb stairs and deliver packages, while its built-in screens display paid ads along the route.

MyChart phishing emails mimic real patient portal alerts with fake lab results and malware tricks that target Windows users across the country.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Google's Motion Assist places animated dots on Pixel screens to combat motion sickness in vehicles, but the Android 17 rollout remains limited.

Moving to a 55+ community can quickly expose your data to scammers and data brokers before you even unpack, putting your whole family at risk.

Amazon Prime Air drone delivery plans to reach nearly 500 U.S. cities by the end of 2026, but your yard and ZIP code may determine eligibility.

The FBI reports nearly $21 billion in cybercrime losses for 2025, up 26%, as AI scams make fake voices and identities more convincing than ever.

Uber teen accounts now feature live video streaming from the driver's camera, but encrypted recordings stay on Uber's servers for up to 14 days.

Router firewalls and software firewalls serve different roles in protecting your home Wi-Fi from unwanted traffic and suspicious connections.

A Chrome extension with 70,000 users and a 4.7-star rating began injecting fake update warnings after a threat actor acquired and weaponized it.

Amazon's Alexa+ rolls out free to Fire TV devices across the U.S., but hands-free microphones and stored voice data raise key privacy questions.

Meta's new teen accounts settlement sets a default two-hour daily limit on Instagram and Facebook, plus night mode and school mode restrictions.

The CareCloud data breach exposed Social Security numbers, banking information and medical records belonging to more than 3.75 million people.

Waymo reveals its custom 5-nanometer chip and dual computing systems designed to take over instantly if the robotaxi's primary computer fails.

Identity theft now includes account takeover, phone hijacking and payment card exposure. Here's what to look for in identity theft protection services.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

The FBI and Justice Department seized domains tied to QScan and QTRouter, tools allegedly used by China-linked hackers to breach NASA and other agencies.

Uber Eats drone delivery launches later this year through a Zipline partnership, starting in Dallas and Houston with a goal of one million daily flights.

Medicare Open Enrollment scams start with data broker targeting months before October. Learn why August is the time to remove your personal info.

The World Humanoid Robot Games' crashes show how far the technology still needs to go to be useful, "Survivor" reality TV star and robotics scientist Christian Hubicki says.

X-Humanoid's TianGong Ultra ran 100 meters in 9.32 seconds at Beijing's World Humanoid Robot Games, beating last year's winner by more than half.

A tap-to-pay charity scam is turning small $15 or $20 donations into charges of nearly $5,000, with victims losing thousands before they notice.

Kurt Knutsson shares seven emergency preparedness lessons from surviving Hurricane Katrina inside a New Orleans hotel as conditions turned desperate.

Small Things

Spirituality