The little details are what gets us-either sets us apart, gets us in trouble, or fills us with emotion. Giving attention to details is what makes our journey unique and significant, no matter where we find the little nuances.
The chirping of crickets and croaking of frogs after an evening rain are like the Song of South for many who’ve enjoyed country living, even in its briefest moments. The vibrant hues across an evening sky will cause many to pause and breathe deeper to fill their souls with warmth of the fleeting rays. The cool blades of grass beneath bare toes awaken the body from the hibernation of winter like a subtle spring invitation.
The overlooked grammatical errors or miscalculations can send one back to the office to revise the tedious work. Poor measurement of the ingredients can leave the cake flat and dense. Overspending can send a limited budget into a financial tailspin.
The smile in his eyes that sends your stomach into somersaults reminds you that he loves you. The delicate scribbles on the scratch of paper given from the smallest hands reminds you that you matter in the world to someone. The intricate web of wrinkles on the hands that cradled you now rest gently in your stronger grip.
The quiet bed, neatly made and unused, sits in the the dimly lit and vacant room. The half-used toiletries reside on the sink, waiting for the owner who isn’t returning. The clothes folded securely in the dresser, the closet filled with abandoned garments waiting to adorn the perfect host.
The details. They capture the attention of those able to take time to notice them. A friend commented on finding dimes in the parking lots since her father passed. Dimes, she thought, were odd, as they are significantly more valuable than the commonly discarded pennies, but that was what captured her attention. She knew about “pennies from heaven”, but dimes really stood out and reminded her of her father who recently returned Home. When Elizabeth passed away, several friends saw an abundance of ORANGE butterflies. Orange was not a favorite color of hers, so it didn’t stand out. Then friends saw more and more Swallowtails-yellow and black. They “felt” Elizabeth at the sight of the these fluttering insects. For me, it was the ladybugs. The hospital signaled the level of care needed by putting a “critter” magnet next to a child’s name. Red ladybugs were critical care. Yellow bumblebees were a step down. Green turtles were normal care, often chemo or ready to go home. We were red ladybugs for a long time. Our step down to Yellow bumblebees was huge for me. I cried when the tech threw our bumblebee pillowcase (a gift to honor our stepdown) in the wash to never be seen again. We weren’t turtles very often. About 6 months after Elizabeth passed, in the winter of 2010/2011, I started to see the red arthropods. They didn’t just show up out of the blue, but they showed up in the most peculiar places. The most unique was in my 6th story hotel in Atlanta where it was snowing! I found one on my pillow that night, one on my windshield the next morning, and one on my console as I drove home! I was in Atlanta attending a grieving parent’s conference. My heart found hope in this delicate detail.
Recently, I found myself purging cabinets and drawers as part of my stand against winter. As I reached under the cabinet in the tiny half bath, my mind was flooded with memories. The half tube of toothpaste, the oral care mouthwash, the delicately scented deoderant, the orange adhesive remover, and the pasty white cream that protected delicate skin transferred me back to a time just under a year ago. As I slid down the doorcasing to rest on the floor, I removed the cap to the bar deoderant to take in the sweet scent that reminded me of a maturing young lady. Visions of the scarred chest that I drenched in the orange scented oil to remove adhesive bandages weekly occupied my tear-filled eyes. The details are as trivial yet as poignant as any I carry in my mind. Mundane daily tasks, often battles that were filled with harsh words and just as many words of encouragement, are now treasured memories. As her disease slowly took over her brain, her ability to complete these simple tasks on her own faded just like that vibrant sky before nightfall. As I brushed her teeth for her, my once vibrant teen, my mind often raced back to the time when I would sit with her as a toddler and brush her much smaller baby teeth. Oh, how I longed for the moment to brush her tangled hair once more, the chore that usually paired with oral care. My teen, who once would come out of her room wearing outfits that signified her unique personality, eventually became a young lady who wore adult clothes to fit her maturing physique. Within months, her closet was filled with teen clothes, but would remain closed and untouched. Now, those same clothes will soon be packed up and sent to a charity so that some other young lady can wear the trendy styles, as their owner isn’t returning.
As I think of that, I think of the details in scripture. Details that are often overlooked as trivial or not necessary. I am often drawn to question these details more, as there is purpose and significance to someone, else they would not be mentioned. Easily we recollect Jesus’s linen clothes wrapped neatly on His tomb. In John 20:7, scripture says that the facecloth was wrapped neatly and separated from the linens that covered His body. There is a story that implies this is like a table napkin folded, signifying the master will return, but this is not accurate. The word entulisso means wrapped, in such a way that the cloth was still wrapped as it had been wrapped around His head. This implies He simply “came out” of the dressing rather than “undressed”. When Lazarus was raised, he came out with the dressing still covering his face and it had to be removed. Jesus was not simply resurrected like Lazarus, but He was resurrected and ascended at the same time.
There are countless nuggets of details in scripture that encourage us to dig a little deeper to find the meaning. God uses these details to enrich and stir our souls as we pour over His word. What other details have you found and considered significant though they were not explained in scripture? How about in your life? Are there little details in the memories that are really more significant than you gave credit or realized?