Just a Mite
[Jesus] looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and he saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. – Luke 21:1-2 (NKJV)
A parent had three children. When the first one was 7, she was out of creative ideas for a birthday gift. Thus the trail mixing began. Peanuts, raisins, and chocolates came out at age 7. Chex were added at age 8, almonds at age 9, coconut at age 10, macadamia nuts at age 11, and at age 12, she decided on white yogurt-covered raisins and quit. The gift was repeated for the other two children. Goldfish, Swedish Fish, jelly beans.
You can mix your birthday trails yourself.
Small steps slowly accumulate. In difficult conversations, I learned a lot from the rule of three: Only say three things. Make sure you say them. Don’t overload your antagonist, opponent, or friend you don’t understand yet.
I was trying to comb my old computer for some new ideas. I didn’t even start until I disciplined myself to load three per week from the old computer onto the new. When it comes to email, I try very hard to keep them to ten a day. That means archiving hundreds and answering dozens. Or not.
None of these tricks always work. Each one sometimes works.
Having drowned in my overdone way too many times, I have learned the hard way to underdo and declare victory. Having joined in information overload, I have learned to unburden myself. By that I mean granting permission to myself, sourced from the Divine, to intentionally not be always growing—but growing a mite. Small is beautiful. Less is more. The compulsion for addition is bad math. Subtraction is much more spiritual.
Prayer
Thank you, Jesus, Artist of the choice of the mighty miniature, for what little peace I have. Thank you, Maternal inventor, for amusing us on the trail. Amen.
About the AuthorDonna Schaper is an interim Pastor at the United Church of Gainesville, Florida, and author, most recently of Remove the Pews—first from your theology, then from your building.