Focus on Small Acts

Some guiding principles are for the long haul. Two that have been with me for years are “I choose to love,” and “when I don’t know what the ‘right’ decision is I prefer to err on the side of grace.” Those are both very important for me.

In meeting with my coach this week, I was reminded that some guiding principles are for the short term as she asked me what do I need to remember to get through a particular challenge over the next few weeks. My long-term principles are fine, but in the short term where do I need to keep my focus?

That goes along with some of what I am reading for my first class coming up in less than two weeks. In Rocking the Boat: How to Effect Change Without Making Trouble, Debra Meyerson talks about small acts that may not seem significant in the larger picture, but like a pebble thrown into still water the ripples become magnified. Small acts can end up making a definite difference, especially when they are taken intentionally.

Over the next four weeks, a few of my short-term guiding principles are to concentrate on my reading for the classes, to work on my sermons, and not to allow a challenging situation to diffuse my focus. So if I seem a bit less chatty, just know that I’m trying to stay on task, engaged in small acts in the larger picture of helping the church be not only vital, but also sustainable.

Matthew 6:33-34

But strive first for the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.