In Praise of The “Little People” Who Make This World Better

We all know someone who never seems to rate much attention, even though they deserve it.  

I love the true story I heard about a woman like that, let's call her Martha. She lived in a tiny town in the middle of logging country and belonged to a very small church. 

The church might be small but everyone pitched in to do whatever needed doing. Martha, well, not so much. 

She always gave the same reason why she never taught Sunday School or Bible class or sang in the small choir: "When the good Lord was passing out gifts, he passed right over me. You don't want me to try teaching, believe me. And I can't carry a tune, just ask anyone who ever sat next to me in church.

"Guess I'm a follower, not a leader and I like it that way."  

Still, Martha never missed a worship service or a church event and at potlucks, people gobbled up her tasty dishes. Meanwhile, she would be out in the kitchen, washing dishes and wiping counters and sweeping the floor.   

That's probably why people knew her face, but couldn't remember her name.

When Martha moved away hardly anyone noticed

What they did notice a couple of weeks after she left was that problems kept cropping up. The Sunday "coffee guy" said, "This place is falling apart! I came to put the coffee on, like I always do, and there's no coffee to put in the coffeemaker. Whose job is it to buy the extra supplies?" 

Then one of the women blustered in and said, "I can't find any toilet paper or paper towels in the storage cabinet! This never happened before. Now what am I supposed to do?"

The resident wise guy happily added his two cents worth: "And whoever is supposed to sweep the sidewalks is falling down on the job! What's going on around here?"

You're way ahead of me, aren't you?

The common denominator was Martha, the I-have-no-gifts-or-talents lady. Before, she always took care of keeping supplies on hand. Quietly, on her own.

She lived close to the church so she could come and go while the pastor kept office hours. Hardly anyone ever noticed her. When the pastor at last heard the complaints he made it known how this one unassuming woman with the gentle smile faithfully ministered to everyone else.

And he added, she didn't do it for applause, but out of love.

Perhaps you're a little–or a lot–like Martha

You go around blessing the people around you and never look for praise.

Maybe you think you have no "place"–or if you do, it's way at the bottom of the pecking order 

However we spend our days, here's a short poem we each can take to heart;  

YOUR  PLACE

Is your place a small place?

Tend it with care!–

He set you there.

Is your place a large place?

Guard it with care!

He set you there.

Whate'er your place, it is

Not yours alone, but His

Who set you there.

–John Oxenham            

Whatever we do, wherever we are in life, it's not by chance

We all feel like "little people" from time to time. That doesn't matter unless we brood over it and think we should receive more recognition. What matters is what our Lord thinks of us because He knows our hearts and knows our motives.

Here's encouragement to hang onto in every situation:

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you."

Jeremiah 29:11-12