Celebrate the Small Stuff
A spark of discouragement had settled upon me throughout the last few weeks and I carried it in with me as I headed into my physical therapy appointment. Each day for the past three months, I had been completing my daily regimen of physical therapy exercises to rebuild my strength following an Achilles lengthening surgery.
Just a few days before the appointment, I had begun to experience some pain in my left foot. My initial reaction was a combination of a heavy sigh and thoughts of not one more thing. I began to modify my exercises—which felt like a backward step in a process that was moving at a snail’s pace.
At the appointment, my physical therapist informed me she needed to send a progress report to my surgeon. She walked me through a series of measurements and tests to evaluate progress. Then, she shared the results—and I was stunned.
My ankle had regained enough range of motion to allow me to run (my ultimate goal) and my knee (initially eight degrees from normal) had improved.
Walking to the car after the appointment, I began smiling. My daily effort had added up. And while I am still far from a full recovery, I count this as a significant step. Most importantly, what I took away was the reminder to celebrate the small stuff.
Whether you too are fighting a rare disease or are dealing with some other form of hardship, we can use small wins to offer hope, to tide us over, and to build our confidence that God is at work.
So often we get caught up keeping our eyes focused on the big picture or the end goal that we fail to recognize the little moments right in front of us.
When nothing seems to change in the big picture, it’s easy to get discouraged. But when we notice the small ways God is at work, it can build our trust in Him and our belief that He will guide us through what is ahead.
Nothing is too small to celebrate. Celebrate the small stuff such as:
+ making time to go on a walk
+ cooking a healthy meal
+ completing a chore
+ starting a new project
+ resting when your body needs it
+ showing up to dinner with friends
Every intentional, forward step is worth celebrating. Life is made up of the little stuff, not the big moments. When we feel ourselves grow frustrated that we aren’t in the place we’d like to be, let’s neglect the big picture and keep our eyes on the little moments of victory.
God’s got the rest. Let’s celebrate what He’s given us today.
What small thing will you stop and celebrate today? I’d love if you shared it with me in the comments.
