Sharing Small Christmas Traditions

        I was talking to a co-worker about what Christmas traditions I do and how I decorate the Christmas because she is putting one up for the first time this year. I got really hot and shakey and I probably even blushed but it is because I talked for the first time about something that I never thought I would have to talk about without the person by my side. It was the first time that I talked about my Grandma and her Christmas traditions without her living. I got through the talking with my co-worker without crying but then I came home and cried about it.
        This Christmas is going to be really different and so hard without any grandparents to go visit. That got me thinking about the step by step and day by day that we need to live and do things. I started to ask a lot of questions to God during my quite time and here are some of the questions:

-What are the simplest little things in my life?
-What little, simplest step by step thing do I need to pray for?

It is taking that little, simplest thing that matters most to you and praying that something big will come out of it. It is trusting that God will turn it into a bigger thing. Pray like that and surely you will overflow with the Holy Spirit but don't take my work for it.

         I'm going to have to give some of this credit to a friend of mine because seeing my friend praying for the simplest and smallest thing and then seeing God answer it hours later is really encouraging. I will say it might be some little nonsense thing to me or someone else but it means the world to my friend. I, honestly, think too that when you pray for the smaller steps first, you will be encouraged more and what to keep going for the bigger picture. You will want to see what God has in store for you. Instead, of trying by yourself to get there because it is so much work to do it all in "one day" or even year.
         How can you start praying in the small steps? What is a goal that you want to reach? I have a couple for me and I will share them. I want to get my Master's in OT and I want to get married and have a family.

Getting my Master's:

-getting one class/semester done at a time.
-getting each paper filled out.
-getting into the program.
-getting through the Master's program and not stopping.

And even then those small steps can get broken down and more specific even. I just don't want to share my whole life plan on here.

        You might be asking me, "What does this have to do with your grandma and the Christmas traditions she had. My grandma had a traditions of giving each of her grandkids a Christmas tree ortrament either before Christmas or on Christmas. That was a little thing that made a huge difference because she would write Bible verses somewhere on them with paint sticks. She was probably hoping we would look them up but I never did, which I regret now but I am thinking about doing that this year. That tradition was a small thing but thinking on it now, I am going to miss it this year. Small things really do have a special meaning behind them most of the time so when you pray for the small things, maybe those small things will be a bigger blessing then the bigger things. Get it?
 
         I understand that we might think that praying for the future would be easier, especially if you are a planner like me but all it does is gets us worried about it instead of living for the present. We miss what we could be doing now in our lives and the lives of others. It, kind of, goes along with that praying every moment of the day concept that some people have, which I love and want to get to in my relationship with the Lord. Maybe if you want to get there too, you can start by praying for the small steps during your long quite time with the Lord and then go from there?

Just something else to encourage you to, hopefully, get closer to the Lord.