The Bug in the Rug

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“Who despises the day of small things?” Zechariah 4:10a

His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” – Matthew 25:23

“Small numbers make no difference to God. There is nothing small if God is in it.”
Dwight L. Moody (Thanks for the quote, Cindy Dawson, “Real Christian Woman.”)

A few weeks ago I had a book signing in a small Michigan town, where I barely sold enough books to pay for the gas it took to drive there and back. But I met some great people and had some interesting, sometimes random “God conversations,” and I trust God was at work, although I probably won’t know this side of heaven all of what He was doing.

That same week I got a delightful voicemail from a lady about my age that I had met a few weeks back on another road trip. We had met at a gas station in Indiana and struck up a conversation in the ladies’ room. I had liked her little red sports car. She had liked my t-shirt that said, “If Being a Christian Is Boring, You’re Doing It Wrong.” – instant connection! Upon learning that it was her birthday, I had given her a copy of my book BARRIERS (So, if prayers are so powerful, how come mine don’ get answered?) We had prayed together before hitting the road again. She was calling to tell me how blessed she was by the book – and meeting me. ❤

A few days ago I was racing around trying to get everything done that I had to do before my daughter arrived. We were going to a concert I’d bought tickets for back in May. I’ll probably tell the whole story next week, but the bottom line is, I was stopped in my tracks when my car died. (“NOOooooo!”) I was unable to reach my other daughter, and my husband was out of state, so I asked the couple in the car parked next to mine for help, which they kindly gave. As they were helping, I was thinking about how to thank them, and realizing I still had a lot of books in my car, so I could definitely offer them one.

BARRIERS, the book I was planning to offer them, was not in the car, though, just the first two books in my trilogy Awakening, books I had originally written for teens and young adults. My publisher had said the first one reminded her of Twilight. I asked the wife if she liked reading, and when she said “…sometimes …” I described the book to see if it might be her “cup of tea.” She said her daughter was into Twilight big time and would probably love it. (!) So I inscribed it to her daughter and gave it to her, thanking her again for helping me with my car …

… which then started right up.

The Bible often refers to the Church as “the Body of Christ,” saying we’re all different members of the Body, who work together to do God’s will. I used to wonder which part I was. Any contributions I’ve made to the Kingdom of God always seem small and relatively insignificant. I have talked with the Lord about that, asking Him, “What am I, anyway?” One day it seemed He was telling me I was a blood cell.

Great! I thought, having just given a pint of blood to the Red Cross and not even feeling the loss. I’m dispensable.

Not at all, Jesus seemed to be correcting me. And as He often does, He answered by bringing a verse of Scripture to mind. After all, “The life is in the blood.”

There are those who are very public figures, doing great, widespread, powerful things for God. We admire these “spiritual giants,” and rightly so. But many more of us yield ourselves to be used by God, only to find Him using us in little, “random” ways that seemingly have no connection. I would submit to you that these are every bit as much a part of God’s plan as the big stuff.

My sister used to love to tell the story of the “Bug in the Rug.” This little creature was crawling around among fibers that were a variety colors. He never knew as he wove his way through the threads what color was coming up next. He liked the bright colors – the red and the yellow. The blue and green fibers made him feel relaxed and peaceful. But the bug didn’t like the charcoal grey and black fibers; they were like a dark jungle, and making his way through them scared him!

But the day the bug sprouted wings and flew high above the rug, all at once, the whole pattern appeared before him, and it was beautiful! The bright colors and the relaxing colors intertwined in intricate, mesmerizing patterns, and even the dark colors that had frightened him, he now saw had their place to make the other colors pop out and be all the more beautiful.

Such are our lives. What seems random, and even meaningless, God has a purpose for, and as we plod along, faithfully following His lead, He will use us to make for Himself a beautiful creation – one little stitch at a time.

“Oftimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride,/ forget He sees the upper, and I the underside./Not ’til the loom is silent, and the shuttles cease to fly,/ will God unroll the canvas, and reveal the reason why.” (from “The Weaver,” By Grant Colfax Tullar)

Prayer: Father, You created each of us uniquely, each for our special purpose and place in the Body of Christ. May we be faithful in whatever You have called us to. May we not look to the world for affirmation, or through the world’s eyes, but with “divine perspective,” seeing that You are at work, and rejoicing that we get to be a part of Your plan. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Published by seekingdivineperspective

I am a forgiven sinner and adopted child of God, seeking to see life from His perspective - as opposed to the world's flawed perspective - and living my life accordingly.

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36 thoughts on “The Bug in the Rug”

  4. Such an encouraging post Annie, to be faithful in whatever God is leading us to do. We trust Him to weave every little thing into a beautiful masterpiece. We can often feel like we are not doing much but we definitely need these reminders. Love the bug in the rug analogy.

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  6. Beautiful testimony of God working thru the ‘small things’, which of course are like seeds that can grow into a big thing.
    May the Lord water every seed you’ve planted. Thank you for the post, I’m praying alongside you.

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    1. Thanks so much, Lisa Beth. Yes, I’ve planted a lot of tiny seeds, but He can bring the increase. He showed me in Psalm 1, that one who loves the Lord “will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit IN ITS SEASON.” Results take time, and we may not see the harvest in this life, but we will.

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  9. Loved the analogy of the bug in the rug. It reminded me of the scripture Romans 8:28,
    “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

    I’m interested in acquiring your book Barriers. I checked Amazon and they’re temporarily out of stock. I’ve read the reviews, and it’s piqued my interest. 🙏

    God bless,
    Susan

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  12. God made us all different. We are all uniquely designed by God. We won’t have the same personalities or gifts or talents or passions or callings. God has something uniquely designed for each of us to do if we will just surrender our lives to him and submit to his purposes. What is that passage that reads something like this: “This one plants, the other one waters, but it is God who makes it grow.” All we have to do is just be available, ready, prepared, and willing to be used of God wherever and whenever and however he purposes for us. He will open the doors. And he is the one who will make it grow. He gives the increase.

    Thank you, Annie, for sharing that precious story.

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  14. Oh Annie, what a precious post, which I relate to in so many ways. Sometimes I feel the things I do or say are so small, possibly insignificant… but your post reminded me that we are all an integral part of God’s great work. The bug in the rug analogy is absolutely perfect! What a blessing you are, as is your writing! May God put your book in just the right hands! God bless dear friend 🙏🏻❤️

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  16. What an inspiring post. God works all our circumstances together according to his purposes!
    Your comment on doing small things for God, and simply being a single blood cell reminded me of a verse my aunt had on a card next to her bed: “God make my life a little flower that giveth joy to all; -Content to bloom in native bower Although its place be small.” We never know how God is using us … And nothing is insignificant when it comes to the Kingdom of God.

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  17. Great post. Great wisdom. It underscores something that deeply registered for me way too late in life. I am not chosen to serve the world like Gandhi, or Jesus, or Martin Luther King. I do not have their capacity or the desire to serve the way that they did. But I do have the capacity and the desire to serve in little ways. Every day is another opportunity to do so. Every day offers the chance to bring a little light into this world. Let me be happy with what I CAN do.

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