Look for the Small Stuff

Fall is my favorite time of year on the Florida panhandle. The Caribbean blue waters show up on our shores from the predominant east winds. The first fall breeze pushes through with north winds and dryer, colder air. The axis of the earth tilts, and and the sun begins to set into the Gulf of Mexico. To me, it’s the best season of the year.

As a kid, I knew the fall was prime season for bottle hunting. I grew up on Robinson point road right near Black Water Bay. During the fall, when the north winds would blow, and the tide would suck out low, it would expose all kinds of treasures in the bay. There was an old Civil War hospital right close to where I called home. The greatest memories I have as a child was exploring the bay, looking for bottles and all sorts of other treasures left behind from the Civil War.

It always seemed my Dad would find way more treasures than me. With my imagination running wild as a kid, I would be looking for canon balls, rifles, and the occasional sunken treasure chest. Unfortunately, I never found any of those. But my luck began to shift from some wisdom my Dad gave me. He would tell me, "Son, look for the small stuff; the buttons, coins, marbles, etc. If you look for the small stuff, the big stuff will just appear." And you know, he was right. While I was running around looking for treasure chests and canon balls, I was walking over coins, buttons, and all sorts of valuable things.

There is a verse in Colossians 3 that says, "Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude." I have found in life, if I can see the small stuff, be grateful for the small stuff, the big stuff just appears. It’s the small, hidden almost, everyday blessings that we seem to walk over every day. I am learning to slow down a bit, look a little harder, and find those hidden treasures in life that most people walk right over. So my challenge to you during this fall season, and heading into Thanksgiving, is too look for the small stuff. Thank God for the crisp cold air, the beautiful orange sunsets, and a dinner table full of family and friends. And before you know it, you will begin to find more in your life to be thankful for.