Part 3, Chapter 35
St. Francis De Sales wouldn’t know about the little way of St. Therese of Lisieux during his life on earth. She lived 250 years after St. Francis De Sales died. But he would like the concept and it would fit nicely with this chapter. This chapter really is talking about doing all the things of our lives, especially the small and what seems insignificant, with great care and precision. Every moment of our lives matters in the devout life! So we should take every task that we have, every breath that we have and do all with great love for the greater glory of God. “Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily…If you do all in God’s name, all you do will be well done” (Introduction to the Devout Life, 143). Life has many moments in it, whether we are typing at a keyboard (like I am now), these moments are to be done for His honor and for love of Him. If someone is insulting us or something is not going the way that “we planned,” here is another moment to love God. For instance, in my life recently my phone was taking a very long time to download an update, in the meantime, I was able to meet someone who needed help and if things had gone faster (my way), I would not have been able to help. Thanks be to God for the slow download! “Take patiently the petty annoyances, the trifling discomforts, the unimportant losses that come upon all of us daily; for by means of these little matters, lovely and free accepted, you will give him your whole heart, and win his” (Introduction to the Devout Life, 142).
Little things add up and become big things. So if we do the little things lovingly and with great care because God is calling us to, then we will start to do the bigger things well. Our Orthodox brothers have a saying in regards to having faith to move a mountain, “We can move mountains one stone at a time.” Another way to look at it would be that it takes 5,280 feet to go a mile, if we go a foot; we only have 5,279 feet to go. We are closer than when we began. We are called to take small steps in the spiritual life with great love. We should ask St. Therese to help us to live out her little way.
