Scripture: Luke 2:5-6

He [Joseph] went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.   

We all remember the big events in our lives…our weddings, the birth of our children, a trip to Disney World.  These are important events in our lives and should be remembered.  But equally important are some of the small memories.  We remember the kid who first greeted us at a new school.  We remember having someone buy us coffee in the line at McDonald’s.  We know how encouraging it was to receive that special card when we were feeling low.  The little things weren’t necessarily expensive or extravagant, but they came exactly at the right time and were exactly what we needed.

Jesus came to us as a baby.  Many people of his day were expecting a Messiah that would come as a king, a conqueror.  No wonder so many people didn’t understand who the Messiah was.  They were expecting God to do a “Big Thing”.  They didn’t realize this baby was the biggest thing of all.  This innocent baby changed the entire world.

Some of us spend much of our lives trying to do a big thing.  We admire those who win the big game, those who invent the next vaccine, those who run the big corporations.  But we need to remember it’s not only the big things that count.  Each day in our own small ways, we can make a difference in someone’s life.  God wants us to find those little things that make our world a better place.

Karen Rowley