10
Feb
The second month of the year holds a special meaning for me. February boasts the blessings of love, legacy, and little things.
As a salute to Valentine’s Day, retailers provide an avalanche of all things romantic. Images from ad campaigns or memories within our hearts announce love is grand. However, if romance feels like a distant event on our calendars, boxes of chocolate or a bouquet of flowers may be symbols of a broken dream.
And yet, since God is love, Love wants us all.
He wants all our potential and our problems.
He welcomes us with our faith and our fears.
God knows all our memories and all we are at this moment.
And the power of a moment shouldn’t be underestimated — or in this case, the power of a month. Undoubtedly, February celebrates love, but it also celebrates legacy.
Its 28 days highlight Black History. As a descendant of African slaves in the United States, I love revisiting how those who came before me triumphed. Their genius and courage surfaced despite personal tragedy and systematic oppression.
For example, I’m grateful for the legacy of Dr. Daniel Hale Williams. In 1893, he performed the United States’ first successful heart surgery. But ironically, when it comes to racial issues, the nation’s heart still needs healing.
And yet, with love and legacy filling up my calendar, February is the shortest month of the year. It reminds me of the blessing of little things.
In our home, day 1 of month 2 is my husband’s birthday. It’s hardly a little thing. However, celebrating another year of his life inspires me to express my gratitude for him, even in the simplest of ways.
February may have its own significance to you. If you set goals in January, you may see the first fruits from your efforts. A gradual move toward a cherished goal or the celebration of a surprise win can make this month pretty special. But if we aren’t seeing as much fruit as we’d like, this verse gives me perspective.
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,” (Zechariah 4:10a NLT).
I’ve learned that appreciating the smallest of things is often the beginning of much greater things. As gratitude builds in our hearts may the blessings of love, legacy, and little things bring joy to the soul.
PRAYER: Dear God, when I think of love, I’m grateful for the way You care for me as Your child. As I consider legacy, I’m grateful for ancestors and mentors whose sacrifice inspires my success. And as I consider little things, there is no blessing You’ve given that is too small. May I continue to grow in Your grace and always be mindful of Your faithfulness and love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
JOY TO THE SOUL: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,” (Zechariah 4:10a NLT).
Lynn J Simpson
The verse you shared so spoke to me today! Yes, let’s focus on God’s faithfulness in all things.
Joy
Thanks Lynn! I’m glad the verse encouraged you! 🙏🏼
Kathy Francescon
So uplifting to my heart, Joy! Loved “God knows all our memories, and where we are at this moment.” Perhaps He has blessed us with all our memories, to bring us to where we are this moment! May the legacies we leave, become wonderful and enriching memories that will take others to the “moment” God desires for them…love truly does want us all.
And God’s love covers us all! Blessings, for all the love you need, desire and hold in your heart this moment!
Joy
Hi Kathy! I love this: “May the legacies we leave, become wonderful and enriching memories that will take others to the moment God desires for them.” Blessings to you too!
Kathy Francescon
Thank you so much, Joy! I wish I knew how to attach a pik of myself to my comments, like I see so many others do! We may be strangers on earth, but we are Sisters, in Christ! Zechariah 2:8…for He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of His eye!
Lisa notes...
Thank you for sharing about Dr. Daniel Hale Williams. How beautiful that he performed the first successful heart surgery. But yes, I definitely see the irony in it too. 🙁 I feel our nation still hasn’t come to grips with even acknowledging our racist sins of the past so it’s no surprise that we aren’t changing.
I appreciate your attitude of valuing the smallest of things. I need to do that more often instead of feelings discouraged that the big things aren’t changing quickly enough.
Joy
Hi Lisa! I’m glad you enjoyed this post. I get your point about being challenged when “big things aren’t changing quickly enough.” I continue to learn how being grateful for small things in the process helps me to change (in good ways), even as I wait for the big change to come. Lord help us!❤️
Lucille Gaither
The week that you posted, Joy, I attended a funeral for a godly man who left quite a legacy both with his family, friends, co-workers, church members, and fellow Navy mates. Everyone spoke good and highly of him. Then I saw his big family – wife, two daughters, two sons, son-in-law, and grandson. And I felt sad for awhile, not for him, for me. He is in glory now, with my firstborn daughter. On earth, my family is quite small. Just my second born and me, right now. Then God caused me to remember something about how He operates, with the little, the least, and the last. There are three examples in scripture. Gideon said to the LORD, “Oh my Lord, with what shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” but God still choose to use him. The apostle Paul clearly said who he was in Christ — “For I am the least of the apostles, not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God…” And last but not least, we know about David, the one with the heart after God. He was the last of Jesse’s sons but “Samuel said unto Jesse, ‘Are here all thy children?’ “And he said, ‘There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep.’ “And Samuel said unto Jesse, ‘Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hither.’” The rest is history. So size does not matter with the LORD. Character matters.
Joy
Hi Lucille! What beautiful reflections on “the little, the least, and the last.” I love your scriptural examples. They are inspiring me (you might see a post on this at some point 😊). Also, thank you for sharing about the sweet legacy of the man whose funeral you attended. You may feel like your family is small, but if your comments on this blog are any indication, your faith is much larger than you might think. Abundant blessings to you, Lucille!