Little Things—Do You Consider Them Important?
“LITTLE things mean a lot.” So say the words of a well-known song. Correspondingly, the world’s wisest Teacher once observed: “The person faithful in what is least is faithful also in much.”—Luke 16:10.
Indeed, little things can be of great importance. In fact, the world is composed of many little things. Yet, so often we may be inclined to overlook or perhaps ignore them because of their diminutive size.
Little Things of Importance
One very little thing, without which none of us would be here, is the fertilized egg cell of human reproduction. Russell Colman, an Australian engineer, called its nucleus “possibly the most impressive logical device in the known universe, turning simple raw materials into complex and intelligent human beings.”
Our body consists of 100 trillion microscopic cells. The DNA in each one of these tiny cells contains built-in instructions that if decoded would fill thousands of printed pages!
And what about the tiny atom, once thought to be indivisible? This minute building block has been defined as the smallest unit of an element that retains its chemical identity. Its very tiny central core called the nucleus is surrounded by infinitesimally small electrons, so that the atom itself is at least 99.9999999999999 percent space!
In comparison with the known universe, we humans are very tiny. When we consider, for example, that our planet Earth is 333,000 times smaller in mass than our sun, which, in turn, is but an average star in one of untold billions of galaxies in a vast universe, are we not reminded of our relative littleness?
Even time itself, though never ending, can be divided into small units. Milliseconds make up seconds, seconds tick into minutes, minutes form hours, and so on into indefinite time periods, endlessly. In sporting events, even fractions of a second can make the difference between losing or winning.
Happiness From Little Things
Among friends, small things matter a great deal because they cement lasting relationships. In marriage, it is often the little things—thoughtful words, glances, or deeds—that mean so much in keeping the partnership warm and caring. And, conversely, the thoughtless omission of such “little things” can mount up, even to the extent of causing big, marriage-breaking problems.
Faith and loyalty, which in themselves are important qualities, are many times expressed in little ways. Yet, think of the large rewards, satisfaction, and happiness these small expressions of trust and dependability can bring.
Yes, great importance is so often associated with little things. Of course, whether something is big or little is relative and is gauged to a large degree by the one making the comparison. Nevertheless, whether it is expressions of endearment, qualities within our personality, or minute ingredients that sustain life, to appreciative persons, ‘little things do mean a lot.’
[Pictures on page 17]
Small courtesies that are important