My Call Is To Be Faithful | Guest Post

     I have the privilege of welcoming my blogger friend, Lauren today! We recently met and found out that we have a lot in common. She is going to share some of the things the Lord has taught her about the value of the little things, so take a minute to read and be encouraged. 

Lauren’s Guest Post

     For as long as I can remember, people have asked me one variation or another of the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

     Well, guess what? I’m twenty-one now. I’m a legal adult, and I’m not pursuing any career that I dreamed of doing as a child. I’m not in college either; in fact, I haven’t been in any formal classroom since age fourteen. The truth is that I spend the majority of my time in bed battling severe chronic illnesses and have lived a life of suffering from nausea, headaches, brain fog, fatigue, and pain, along with dozens of other symptoms, for over seven years. 

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”

Luke 16:10

The Little Things

     Sometimes I feel like I’m not doing much of anything besides surviving. I’m not doing “big things” for the Lord. In fact, a few years ago, I could barely roll over in bed and depended on my parents to bring me pureed food and to wash my hair in bed. All this has made me rethink what my vocation is, and I’ve realized that sometimes I’ve over complicated what I thought serving God should look like.

     Slowly, I have realized that my vocation is simply to be faithful to the Lord by loving Him with all my heart, soul, and mind and my neighbor as myself to the best of my ability. In Daring to Hope, Katie Davis Majors writes, “God is glorified when we give Him our hearts, give Him ourselves, and faithfully do the thing right in front of us, no matter how small or trivial.”

     God can and will use the seemingly small ways I serve Him. He is glorified when I say, “thank you” for the millionth time to my caregivers. He is glorified when I write a note to someone feeling alone and forgotten. He is glorified when I say a simple one sentence prayer while battling brain fog. He is glorified when I listen to a friend who needs to talk. He is glorified when I crochet a gift for a friend. He is glorified when I praise Him while suffering. 

Be Faithful 

     Recently, I’ve been listening to Dream Small by Josh Wilson, and I’ve been so encouraged by the lyrics. I know, “dream small”? What sort of message is that? It is counter to many of the messages I hear, but the truth is that God uses the seemingly small acts of service that are done quietly and mostly unseen by others. As Wilson sings,

“Dream small

Don’t buy the lie you’ve got to do it all

Just let Jesus use you where you are

One day at a time

Live well

Loving God and others as yourself

Find little ways where only you can help

With His great love

A tiny rock can make a giant fall

So dream small

Keep loving, keep serving, keep listening, keep learning

Keep praying, keep hoping, keep seeking, keep searching

Add up the small things and watch them grow bigger

The God who does all things makes oceans from rivers”

      I’m not serving God in seemingly glamorous ways that make newspaper headlines, but God is still using me to build up His kingdom. The ways in which I pursue my calling have and will continue to change depending on my circumstances, but my calling itself will always remain the same. My call is simply to be faithful to the Lord wherever He has placed me.

Bio: Lauren Watt is a twenty-one year old Christian who has been in an intense battle with Babesia and Bartonella, Lyme disease co-infections, since 2015. She runs a website, Lauren’s Easel, where she sells her artwork and blogs regularly. She lives at home with her parents and feathered and furry friends, and she has two older brothers and a sister-in-law. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.