A Psalm of Little Things

God’s in His heaven
and all is right with the world.

That’s how it seems
somedays;
when the wind’s at your back,
the birds are singing,
the flowers are blooming,
your hair looks good,
your shoes match,
and you find a parking place
first thing.

People are cheery and helpful:
holding doors and elevators,
smiling and waving;
offering friendly greetings
and warm encouragement
wherever you go.

Other days ...

you have to wonder,
like the psalmist who asked
if God had deserted heaven,
why nothing seems to go as it should;

when we are plagued by
burned toast, cold coffee,
spoiled milk, flat tires,
dented fenders, dog doo,
and demon-possessed copy machines
that devour dozens of pages of a project
that should have been finished
yesterday.

And why on earth were those dirty dishes
left to sit there in the sink?
Your mother doesn’t work here!

It is the devilment of details —
the nuisance of “little things”
that get us down.

We’re being nibbled to death
by ducks.

On days like these —
and Lord knows there are plenty of them! —
we do not celebrate,
but struggle merely to survive;
we grit our teeth just to get through it,
so we can start all over again tomorrow.

Oh yipppeee.

It’s supposed to be You, God —
not the devil —
who is in the details.

So where are You?

Do I need stronger eyeglasses
to see something I am missing?

Could You be hiding there,
Precious One,
amid the file folders,
or in that heap of laundry?

Are those Your footprints
across the kitchen floor;
and are You behind the program
that crashed as I was saving my file?

Did You leave those dirty dishes,
take up two parking places,
and not replace the toilet tissue?

Is it Your voice on the recording
trying to sell me siding for my house;
did You send that Late notice,
and are You the one
who is playing the stereo so loud?

If that’s so,
You must be with me always,
in every place and time;
not only when all is light and joyful,
but when clouds fill the sky,
and darkness blots out the sun.

I see it now, Beloved:
You’ve been there all along,
waiting
for me to look for You.

And I’ve been missing out
on a game of Holy Hide and Seek,
while my Quarry was hidden
in plain sight.

Yet You, o Crafty Hunter,
are really seeking after me;
plotting to snare my soul
in the bounds of Your love.

For You will never forsake me,
though I walk through
the Valley of the Shadow of Death;
when storms arise,
and even the stars disappear.

You are with me,
wherever my path leads —
whether to the glories of Heaven
or the very terrors of Hell itself.

And You will never let me go.

Protector, Guide, and Friend,
Companion of my soul;
You are with me always.

Teach my heart to find You
in all times and places.
Amen.

Suggested Spiritual Exercise

Look around and see Who you find!