FOREST FLOOR
- Nicky Heymans
- Sep 26
- 5 min read

One day during the Covid 19 lockdown, I asked Holy Spirit to give me a strategy for the difficult season we found ourselves in. One of the things He said to me was to “watch out for the small things.”
During that time, we had so much stripped away from us. Life as we knew it changed radically; we were not in control of the “big picture” aspects of life because our governments made those decisions. However, I felt Holy Spirit say that we were not to focus on the big things which we couldn’t change, but to intentionally watch out for the small things which we could change.
Lockdown for me was a time to deal with the little things in my life that were not helpful. I love to walk and, during the lockdown, when we lived in Sussex, I often walked through a particular forest. I usually pray, worship, or listen to podcasts when I walk, so I didn’t always concentrate on where I was walking. Therefore, every now and then, I would inevitably trip over stumps along the path. In my ‘walking forest’, there were lots of logs and tree branches that lay across the pathway, but they weren’t a problem. I could see them and go round them, under or over them. But the little stumps, just an inch or so tall, were the ones that consistently tripped me up.
If you’re in a wilderness season, and you’re having to do a lot of waiting around, take the opportunity to watch out for the small things. It is a great time to deal with things like bad attitudes, unhelpful habits that we’ve got into, lies which we are believing that are not of God, or mindsets that need changing. Deal with those “little stumps” in your life while you have the time to do so.
It's also a great time to look for the little things that do you so much good. I experienced so many of those on my walks: a friendly robin singing to me, beautiful wildflowers by the side of the path, or the stunning patterns on autumn leaves. I remember having a long and rather surreal ‘whistling conversation’ with a particular robin on one walk. If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn that the little creature knew exactly what I was saying (or whistling!) to him; it was an amazingly edifying experience.
On another cold, overcast and dreary day, I was walking when, all of a sudden, a shaft of sunlight broke through the clouds and beamed down on me. It was as though Father had taken his thumb and index finger and separated the clouds just for me! I felt His presence, His blessing and His kindness, and I stopped in my tracks to revel in it. I remember stretching my arms out sideways and swaying, just soaking up the sunshine and the warmth … and my Father’s love.
It was a special moment.
It has stayed with me.
So, just like we should deal with the little things that trip us up, it’s equally as important to celebrate the good things that happen while you’re waiting. The big breakthroughs are wonderful, but the small things are equally important and are so often overlooked. So I encourage you to consciously watch out for them: an encouraging text from a friend, an unexpected smile from a stranger, the whisper of Holy Spirit as you are going about your day, the. As we recognise them and celebrate them, we will build a lifestyle of thanksgiving which will hold us in good stead for years and years to come.
The control freak in us hates waiting, especially if we haven’t chosen to do so. There are many stories in the Bible about people who didn’t wait on God, but rushed in and did things their own way and, invariably, things got messy. One of the most obvious examples is that of Abraham, who had received an amazing promise from God about being the father of many nations, but was still childless years after receiving that promise.
Instead of waiting for God’s perfect timing for the fulfilment of the promise, Abraham and his wife, Sarah, took matters into their own hands, and Abraham had a child, Ishmael, by Sarah’s handmaiden, Hagar. Abraham and Sarah did have the promised son, Isaac, later on, because God always keeps His promises (albeit, often not in the timing that we would prefer!). However, the consequences of their unwillingness or inability to wait for the promise were that Ishmael and Isaac’s descendants were at war with each other and, unfortunately, still are even today.
Another life-altering example is found in 1 Samuel 13 when King Saul was about to go to war with the Philistines. He and his army were vastly outnumbered, and Saul was understandably anxious about the forthcoming battles. He chose not to wait for the prophet Samuel to come and offer the burnt offering before the battle, as was the command of the Lord at that time. Instead, he offered the burnt offerings himself, which was forbidden. When Samuel arrived shortly afterwards, he told Saul that his days as King were numbered because of his disobedience. Saul lost his entire kingdom because he rushed in to ‘sort things’ himself, instead of waiting.
That’s a huge price to pay for impatience.
Although usually on a smaller scale, most of us do the very same thing. Instead of waiting on God, letting go of our need to be in control and choosing to trust Him, we ‘make things happen’ our way. I am preaching to myself here, believe me!
“Those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the Earth… the meek shall inherit
the Earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Wait on
the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land”
Psalm 37:9, 11, 34
Don’t you love this scripture? It talks about what happens when we do wait on the Lord – we receive an inheritance. What a fantastic encouragement for us! It’s worthwhile waiting!
So, my encouragement to you while you’re waiting in your wilderness is not to rush into trying to deal with things your own way. Instead, use your time wisely by intentionally dealing with the little things that trip you up, as well as consciously looking for small things to celebrate.
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Until next time ….
Are there times in your life when you haven’t waited for God’s leading or directing, but have ‘rushed in’ yourself and, as a consequence, messed things up?
Meditate on the scripture from Psalm 37, verses 9, 11 and 34, and encourage yourself with the promise of an inheritance from your heavenly Father.
Ask Holy Spirit to show you if there are any ‘small stubs’ in your metaphorical forest floor that you need to deal with during this wilderness period.
Then ask Him to give you a fresh awareness and appreciation of the little things that are sent to bless you during your waiting time.
I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your thoughts or ask questions, either by using the contact form or by adding your comments below.
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