The Next Little Thing
We run our little farm completely for joy. It doesn’t make us any money. As a matter of fact… it costs us quite a bit. 😅 It doesn’t put food on the table—yet. And it’s definitely not always convenient. But what it does give us is something better.
It gives us joy. It gives us focus. It gives us something to come home to when the rest of the day feels a little chaotic. No matter what the day looked like… when we pull into our little homestead, the responsibilities are simple.
Feed the animals.
Check the water.
Make the dinner.
Do the next little thing that needs to be done.
And there is always a next little thing.
Some of them are fun. Like updating the seasonal herb garden... or turning one of the tack room stalls into a little hunting haven for the boys.
But most of them? They’re just the small, ordinary, necessary things that keep everything running.
Of course I said yes. And then he turned around and said, “I’m going to go find the next little thing that needs my attention.”
I stayed right where I was—hands in a bowl, mixing seasoning into meat for dinner—because eventually everyone needed to eat. But my mind started wandering. Not in a stressed, overwhelmed kind of way… just in observation. I started thinking about all the little things that needed attention.
The honey-do list I could hand him.
The things I assumed he already had on his list.
What he was about to find outside that would keep him busy.
I thought about the boys.
One cut his finger fixing a bike chain this week.
Another chopped wood like it was his full-time job… just because he had free time.
And inside, I was pressure cooking five pounds of chicken before it went bad, making warm soup for a randomly cold April day, planning to switch the laundry, put away the pile of clothes that’s been sitting in my room for days…
Homework would get done.
A bedroom would get picked up before prayers.
The house would get swept.
Animals would get fed.
The barn floor would get blown.
The path would stay clear.
The golf cart would eventually get its battery box fixed.
The four-wheelers would stay gassed up.
The water troughs would be filled.
It was just… life.
A lot of little things.
And then it hit me. My husband put kissing me on the list. He needed my attention.
And I needed his too.
Standing there, dicing squash for the soup, my mind shifted again.
Not to the tasks… but to the order of them.
Because there will always be another thing to do.
Another project.
Another fix.
Another chore.
But not everything needs our attention in the same way.
I was reminded of something I read recently:
“Alignment will take you further than effort ever will.”
We can work our fingers to the bone doing all the right things…
but if they’re out of order—
if they’re out of alignment—
we’ll still feel off.
Scripture says it clearly:
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
— Matthew 6:33
And also:
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…”
— Colossians 3:23
Both are true. Do the work. Take care of what’s been entrusted to you.
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| Happy Anniversary, Peter! |
Because sometimes the most important “next little thing”… isn’t a task.
Quiet time with the Word.
Conversation on a friend's couch.
A moment with your kids.
The kiss in the kitchen from your spouse.
I'm forever learning that when I get the order of priority in alignment…
everything else seems to fall into place a little easier.
What “little things” are filling your day—and are they aligned with what matters most?
Lord, help me not just to work hard, but to live in alignment with what matters most to You. Teach me to prioritize people over tasks, and to recognize the moments that deserve my attention. Give me wisdom to order my days in a way that honors You. Amen.
Until next time, keep following the Plott, and I will be praying for us all. 💛
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