Let me begin with a silly example, just to get it out of the way. I don’t like cheese. The recipe addition is usually added to mask the more flavorful, and often spicy, portions of dishes. But that’s just an opinion of mine. The real reason I don’t enjoy eating the paragon of American food is because I never grew up with it.
My father cannot have certain dairy foods, with cheese being a type of poison for him. So, my mother decided not to risk her children having digestive issues and did not give us milk or cheese when we were young. Additionally, my father is the cook in the family (both literally and by name), so it is unlikely he would use cheese in a dish.
And so I never developed a taste for cheese.
There. The silly example is over. And clearly, our pasts affect our futures and our decision-making processes. I would not be an International Studies major if I weren’t interested in developing my understanding of the Spanish language. And I would not be studying Spanish if not for joining a language co-op while in high school.
Little ripples from earlier in our lives can grow into tsunamis of importance. Or they can stay small yet still influential. Many of my interests stem from events in my childhood or schooling experience. I’m sure the same is true for much of humanity.
The Master of these ripples is the Lord Himself. He consistently uses seemingly unimportant people and details as parts of His overarching plans. From Gideon, David, Esther, Mary the Mother of Jesus, the Apostles to the lesser-known Jael, Ananias, Shamgar the judge, and the members of the church of Ephesus, God’s Word is chock-full of unimportant-important people. Some of them are now well known because of how God used them, while others remain relatively obscure. All of them have something in common: God used them to change history and execute His plan.
The providence of God not only includes the big events but the everyday moments. I might not think God knows or cares that I chose to eat a granola bar instead of cereal for breakfast, but He does know. He is omniscient.
The most minute details are overseen by God. In Psalm 139 God describes how He “knitted” us together in the womb and made us “fearfully and wonderfully.” Every gene I inherited from my parents was handpicked by God.
When I was a child, I often read books in my grandmother’s house. Some of my favorites included the Where’s Waldo? series. Of course, I had to find Waldo first, which is often a frustrating endeavor. That red-striped man with a walking stick was quite elusive, like a spy. But I still went back to the books, even after finding Waldo to look at all the funny little detailed characters and scenarios the artist had put on each page. As an artist myself, it’s fun to add details, even if they may seem unimportant or might be overlooked by the casual viewer.
Details, ripples, and everyday choices are small, but they can constitute or affect something bigger than themselves. Ultimately God is the Master of Details and Ripples, but I am reminded that what I do daily can ripple through my life and the lives of others.
This is why God gave us the New Testament, instructing us to remember our Christian testimonies and be aware of the ripples we create. Being intentional about our thoughts, attitudes, and deeds is all part of the Christian life. It’s difficult because it’s easy to slip up. We’re only human, but God is there, ready to forgive, even if it’s only something that seems small.
Think about what ripples He has placed in your life. This season is the perfect time to praise the Lord for all the thoughtful details and people and events He placed in your life.