You know the old joke, “Don’t Sneeze or you’ll miss it!” Little towns have been the brunt of a lot of wise cracks. I’m a “big city” guy – I admit it…at least I like to think I am. But maybe not so much. I actually live in a suburb that only has about 22,000 residents. Deeper in my DNA, I am absolutely NOT a big city boy. My mom was born in Warren, Arkansas with a population 6,003, but that’s three times the size it was when Mom grew up there. And when he got saved, my Dad was living in Turnertown, Texas with a grand population of 76.
This is the age of “go big,” and I sure don’t suggest overlooking our world’s megacities. But we dare not do so at the expense of small towns. The villages and hamlets may not have great stadiums and sprawling shopping plazas, but they have people. Our Savior, Himself, grew up for almost thirty years in a town no bigger than 400. Now, as then, away from the bright lights, in the “Nazareths,” God is doing amazing work.
I just looked through the home towns of Boston students. You would recognize Boston, Kansas City, Houston, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Philadelphia and other big names on our “hometowns” list. But what jumped off the page at me is how many young servants the Lord is using like Sarah from Osborne, KS (1,431) and Bridgette from Monument Beach, MA (2,790) and Torri from Winchester, OH (1,028) and Adam from Cape Neddick, ME (2,568) and John from Groton, VT (1,022) and Andrew from Coleman, TX (4,709) and Michelle from Forestdale, MA (4,099) and Esther from Dixfield, ME (2,550) and Juliana from Vergennes, VT (2,588) and Breanna from Greenfield, RI (8,658) and many, many more. In these “little” places, with no embassies or universities or much attention, God has faithful pastors and churches and families, who continue to do something extraordinary. And that is nothing to sneeze at.