Lessons From My Mama

My mama used to say, “If I can’t trust you with the little things, how can I ever trust you with the big ones?”

Back then, it was about curfews, chores, and telling the truth about who I was texting. But now? It means so much more.

Lately, that lesson has been echoing in my ears louder than ever.

A few weeks ago, my home church, the place I’ve worshipped, cried, and poured into forgot to write something down. Just a date. A simple calendar entry. A little thing, right?

Except it wasn’t.

That forgotten date was the key part of an event I had worked hard to plan. An event that has happened years in a row. An event that wasn’t just important to me, but to the people I’m trying to serve, to honor, to love well. Because of that slip, I had to scramble to reorganize the entire thing. And while I did it with grace (or at least, I tried), it didn’t come without pain and stress. 

Not because it ruined my event. Not even because I feel like it makes me look silly. 

But because it shook something deeper, trust.

It’s not about perfection. We all fall short. I do. You do. The church does. 

But what I’m learning is this sometimes it’s not the “big betrayals” that hurt trust. Sometimes it’s the little oversights, the things that get brushed off as no big deal. The “oops, we forgot.” The “sorry, we missed that.”

Because if I can’t trust you to write something down how can I trust you to stand beside me when the waters rise? How can I trust you will have my back if something goes wrong? 

If the little things fall through the cracks, how do I believe you’ll be dependable when I need prayer warriors at 2am, or when life breaks wide open and I need more than just a Sunday smile?

The Bible says 

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” – Luke 16:10 (NIV)

This fits perfectly with what my mama told me for years.  

This isn’t about completly about being upset. This is about reflection.

This is about wanting better for the Body of Christ, not because we want to criticize it, but because we love it too much not to.

I still believe in grace. I still believe in second chances. And I still believe in my church. 

But I also believe in integrity, and showing up, especially when it’s “just the little things.”

Because sometimes it’s “just the little things.” That makes the biggest difference.