Extraordinary!


If you cannot do great things,
do small things in a great way. –Napoleon Hill


If you are a lectionary preacher (like I try to be), during Eastertide we see a dramatic shift. Suddenly we are no longer given a reading from the Old Testament; now, instead of looking back to our Jewish heritage, we are looking forward to the spread of the Good News, specifically at the Acts of the Apostles. And that can be challenging.

I mean, seriously. We just heard about Thomas, the one who wants to see to believe (don’t we all), and now we are bombarded by story after story of hundreds of people coming to believe in Jesus and being healed—simply by hanging around Peter and the rest!

How come we don’t see miracles like this happening all around us anymore? What am I not doing? Am I that weak in faith?

Pause for a minute. Look around. Open your eyes. Miracles are happening everywhere. In my opinion, there is no such thing as a little miracle. They are all huge.

A child speaks her first words. The cocoon slowly cracks open and reveals the beauty of new life hidden inside. Lying on my back in the grass, I glance up at the night sky, just in time to see a shooting star pierce the darkness. Miracles, all.

Not one of us can change the whole world. (That would be God’s job.) But each of us has the power to do little things with great love, things that change the world before our eyes.

So . . . ? What’s your superpower? Baking cookies? Gardening? Listening? Grab your cape! Go!


Monday Head outdoors. Pause, tip your head back and look up. Now lower your gaze to the ground. What did you see? 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Tuesday Indoors or out, in your home or another place, pause for several minutes and listen deeply. Beyond the voices and traffic, tune your ear to an inner Voice. What do you hear? Isaiah 64:4

Wednesday This time of year has its own peculiar smell. It can be hard to isolate a single “outdoorsy fragrance” of spring. Try it. Can you describe it? 2 Corinthians 2:15-16

Thursday We require food for our very survival. Today, be very deliberate in choosing what you eat. As you eat, put your fork down between bites and really taste what you are eating. 1 Peter 2:2-3.

Friday Every surface of our body is sensitive to touch or contact. Hands, feet, elbows—all designed to tell us what our world “feels like.” Be aware of this today as you wash, as you walk, as you make your way in the world. Mark 5:24-34

Saturday As you pray for yourself today, be aware of the “complete package” that is you. Give thanks. Psalm 139:1-13

Sunday Look around you. Enjoy the moment with another. Invite a friend to lunch. Luke 14:12-14

Even the largest avalanche is triggered by small things.
--Vernor Vinge

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