Naomi, my 11-year-old daughter, was recently in the play Frozen and constantly sings all of her songs at home with her baby brother, Micai. For Christmas, Micai was given a little stuffed Olaf in his stocking. We call him “Small Olaf,” and that’s because we are also temporarily housing a human-sized Olaf who Micai calls “Big Olaf” (or “Monster,” depending on the day). Some days he loves him, some days he won’t go near him!
But “Big Olaf” is actually quite small when compared to Olaf, the 60-foot tall helium balloon from the Macy’s Day Parade. Thinking back on seeing that giant Olaf balloon on the screen Thanksgiving Day reminds me that our “Big Olaf” at home is actually quite small. “Big” is a relative word, which means that an object can be defined as either big or small, depending on what that object is compared to. Same goes for a dream, or a calling, or a vision. We can call it big, but it can often be small compared to God’s plan. The opposite can also be true, we can call something small, but in the eyes of God it can be life-changing BIG!
When we sang the song Big during worship this past Sunday, I was thinking about that word and how we often get into trouble when we try to define the word “big” on our own. The lyrics are “Your destiny, your promise, your future; You might as well shout before you get it; Because God sent me here to tell you; That what he has for you is gonna be BIG.”
When singing that verse, I was prone to fill in the blank for what that “BIG” thing is that He has for me this year. I began to think about the times in the past when I’ve prayed and believed for something that I defined as “big”, and then the year ended with turmoil and disappointment, with no big promotion, no big turning point, no big revelation or breakthrough (at least in the way I define BIG).
The Lord lovingly reminded me that sometimes the biggest things are those that go unseen. It’s easy to think that something big is outwardly seen by everyone, because it’s big in size and stands out. But many times, it’s the internal, unseen work He is doing in us that’s so huge and life-changing – freeing us to make a greater impact on our family, our community, our workplace, and our ministry.
Prayer: Whatever is going to get You the most glory, Lord, do it. Do that BIG thing you want to do in my life this year. I’m open and willing to obey. Help me to surrender my definition of “big” to You, Father, and to remember that your thoughts are not my thoughts, and your ways are not my ways. As I create a vision for my life, I trust that your definition of “big” is greater and more accurate than mine can ever be. Amen.