My Little Acre . . .

My little acre of land, my little acre of influence, and travels, how well do I know thee? George Macdonald puts it this way:

"Few are needed, to do the out-of-the-way tasks which startle the world, and one may be most useful just doing commonplace duties, and leaving the issue with God. And when it is all over, and our feet will run no more, and our hands are helpless, and we have scarcely strength to murmur a last prayer, then we shall see that, instead of needing a larger field, we have left untilled many corners of our single acre, and that none of it is fit for our Master's eyes, were it not for the softening shadow of the cross."

This quote has always moved me as I've read it over the years. It certainly reminds me that I have much to do in my own little sphere of note. As I share when I speak on note writing: "This may appear to be a very small service in God's family, but it has the potential to change a life. I should know . . . my life was changed by a note."

And the same may be true as you share your gifts from God with others. It may seem very small, but in actuality, it may change a life.

In Look Upto Me: The Devotions of Charles Spurgeon, the September 10 devotion opened with Mark 3:13: "Jesus went up on a mountain side and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him."

"This is an example of God's sovereignty," Spurgeon wrote. "Impatient souls may fret and fume because they are not called to the highest places of ministry, but dear reader, let your heart rejoice that Jesus calls whom He wills. If He asks you to be only " . . . a doorkeeper in His house," Psalm 84:10, cheerfully bless Him for His grace in allowing you to do anything in His service."

Yes, my little acre is quite enough to fill my time in living for Jesus and sharing encouraging words. It is done because of His grace in me, and I can rejoice that I can do this for Him.

Whatever God has given you to do in your little acre, do it faithfully for you never know when your gift will change a life!

The picture above is of Sammy playing "stick" in our little acre.

I saw a fawn and doe by the side of the road the other morning and quickly turned around to see if I could get a picture. They moved into the trees so I turned into the next street, parked the car and walked just inside the tree line. It took about 5seconds before I spotted the fawn, who was looking at me. I was able to get several snaps before my camera said, "change the batteries." I never saw the doe.

It wasn't until I was working with the picture in Photoshop at home that I noticed the doe in the picture. It caught my breath! What a thrill.