King Solomon wrote that it’s the little foxes that spoil the vineyard.  We know that one bad potato or apple can quickly spoil an entire bag.

  A pinch of salt or garlic gives just the right flavor to our foods.  In the classic movie, “Sound of Music,” there’s the phrase in one of the songs, “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, …”  What are the “littles” around our houses that bring delight or spoil?  Are you and I masters of doing the “littles” that either bring joy or disaster to our homes?

I grew up in a little home in the middle of a Nigerian jungle.  We didn’t have very much, but my father was a master of the “littles.”  Somehow he would buy Cadbury chocolate bars and hide them.  We 5 children would always know to quickly finish our Sunday noon meal and run to our beds for our traditional 1 hour siesta.  We knew my father had put a small Cadbury square on our pillows.  We would smell the chocolate, put the square into our mouths, lick our fingers and try to drag out the melting chocolate in our mouths for as long as possible.  We were in heaven.  My mother was a master of the “littles.”  She would make chocolate pudding by boiling the milk, adding chocolate, sugar and other ingredients and then put the bowl in the refrigerator to cool.  When it was ready to serve there was always a layer of skin on top that was sweeter than the pudding.  She knew the ones of us who loved the skin and would save it for us.  My wife is a master of the “littles.”  Every morning I have a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice waiting in the kitchen.

When I was young, I was a master of the “littles.”  I knew those little things that really irritated my brothers and sisters.  I would catch snakes, scorpions or lizards and put them in drawers or down shirts.  My satisfaction came from their screams of horror.  I knew just the right time and just the right action that would disrupt a serious time of family discussion.  I knew just the right kind of teasing that really exasperated my sisters.

Are we masters of the “littles?”  What kind of “littles” do we excel at in our homes?  Let’s be masters this week of the good “littles” and watch our homes brighten with joy.

None of us are perfect as individuals – nor are our marriages perfect.  As we work together to maintain our love and a strong marriage, our homes will be a good environment for growing and happy children.