Book 1 of Musings Minor Details

If we are not diligent in taking care of the minor details, the minor details may become major issues!

In America we use an expression "Don't sweat the small stuff."

This means, keep focused on the major problems and don't be buried under details that eventually will solve themselves.

This often is good advice. We don't want to waste our time making mountains out of molehills. We don't want to be found counting paper clips when the dam is about to give way.

However, there is a substantial part of any enterprise that is made up of seemingly trivial details. The American pastor and his church board are faced with an array of details, such as safety precautions for all persons involved in the church; careful background checks and vaccinations of those who work with children; many safety requirements for all church field trips; meticulous accounting procedures for all handling of money; adequate liability and property insurance; a good rapport with the local community; property maintenance and so forth. Some pastors are careful with details. Others like to occupy themselves with their sermons and other major undertakings, and figure "the Lord will take care of the details."

Sometimes Christians schools are not careful when sending children on a field trip. Car or bus tires and brakes are not checked. Attention is not paid to insuring that every child has a seat belt. The record of the driver may not be checked to make certain there have been no speeding tickets.

"The Lord will take care of the kids."

"Don't sweat the small stuff!"

But then something happens. A volunteer falls off a ladder and there is no liability insurance. Someone with latent tuberculosis infects the babies in the nursery. A drunken driver crashes into a car carrying children on a field trip and three of the children do not have seat belts. A van carrying young people has a blowout because of bald tires. An individual starts coming to the church and is eager to work with young children. Three months later parents complain that their children have been molested.

The pastor has not been recording all the money that has been given. Expensive musical instruments have been stolen and no one was designated to make sure the doors are locked when the building is not in use. The people across the street have made a request of the church and have been arrogantly ignored. They take up the matter with the city council. A door comes loose from the hinges and falls on a small child.

Any one of these incidents could have been handled before it became a major issue, if the church officials had been diligent in taking care of details. We didn't feel we had the time or strength to take care of the details. We will find the time and strength after something happens!

"The Lord will take care of it."

"Don't sweat the small stuff." Right.

The Lord will take care of it, but only after we have been diligent in taking care of the necessary details. Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; (Romans 12:11-KJV)

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