Today I’m linking up with Lisa-Jo for Five-Minute Friday.
Join me!
The rules: Write for five minutes. No editing, revising, overthinking, or backtracking. Just write.
Today’s prompt: Small
Ok, a confession?
In this great, big, bloggy world…I sometimes feel so very small.
Tiny .
And often insignificant.
For almost two years, I wrote just to write…and while it was good, there was always that part of me that wished for a community, the kind that would read my words and invite me to read theirs.
I’m not even really sure how it happened, but one day that changed, and suddenly there was this beautiful and amazing community surrounding me.
It would take much longer than my five minutes to list them all, but they surrounded me with their hearts and words and prayers…and these beautiful ladies have become my family, though I’ve met very, very few of them in real life.
And it isn’t that I became big once I meant them.
It’s just that God used each of my sisters to remind me that I am a small part of it all…but an important part.
All of us…
We each have a voice, and that voice matters.
It may not be one that shouts from rooftops, gets a thousand retweets a day, or that many comments, either.
But it’s still important, and He can still use it to reflect His glory.
Father, thank you that you can work through the small and insignificant…
Thank you that, despite me, you still choose to use me and my voice.
He is good, isn’t he? So grateful to be in this community with you, Mel. You’re one of my favorites from this year =) I’m so thankful to have been welcomed into the #fmfparty by you all! Can’t WAIT for October!
Ditto, sweet friend…SO looking forward to October and the great, big, (in)RL party we’re gonna have! (Sleep is optional, right? ;)) Have a great weekend…hugs!
Girl, I’m right there with you!! I love how this community has helped me grow-yourself included!! Love this post!
Thank you, Marcy…I’m so thankful for you and your heart. Blessings and happy Friday to you!
Love love love you, Mel! You are one of my bestest friends (and now I can say that legitimately without sounding like a creeper ;)) Ha! Love you and your voice and your sweet friendship. This community has blessed so many lives – it is so great to see His work amongst all these women! {{Hugs}}
Haha…you make me smile. You’re not a creeper, just a friend who reached out to me because God knew we needed each other. I’m so thankful for you! Have a great weekend…praying God sends some extra sunshine your way, too. Love to you!
I think our hearts were on a similar track tonight… I am always blessed by your words friend… Thank you for your honest heart here.
Thank you, friend! Wishing you a beautiful weekend…I’m so thankful for you!
Such a wonderful post. I have been there…still am there at times but I too have been so blessed by women in this community online…and you especially. I can’t wait for October to hug you in person!!
I know…I LOVE that the weeks are ticking down to Allume. I can’t wait!
Thank you for the blessing you are in my life, friend…it’s been amazing to watch God create this community for me over the last year. He’s so good, and I’m so thankful that you are part of it! Happy weekend to you! 
This is beautiful. We each have a voice — great reminder. Small voices are powerful too – they can give voice to the voiceless!
Thank you, Alene! Blessings to you, friend.
Oh my friend, you spoke both our hearts tonight. I love you to the moon and back! So thankful for this community and the way we can accept each other’s voices as unique and powerful. And we will meet one day!
xoxoxoxo
My favorite part of this community is that we all have something different to give…I’m so blessed by each of you. And, friend…just keep telling what’s in your heart, because you do it well and your life screams what He’s done. It’s beautiful.
Can’t wait for the day when we can exchange an (in)RL hug! Blessings and happy weekend to you!
Lovely. What a wonderful and BIG God we serve. He is faithful – even to the small. Love your voice!
“Your beginning will seem so small, since your future will fourish.” Job 8:7
“flourish”
Thank you, friend, for that verse…you are a blessing.
Beautiful. Each of our voices is significant and has a purpose in this big world of blogging!
Thank you, Barbie! Wishing you a wonderful Friday!
Love the reminder. It makes the writing and the sharing oh so not scary. Or not AS scary. Love being a part of the body of Christ in this unique way.
Me, too…having this community, one that truly loves and supports each other, is such a blessing.
Happy Friday to you!
Dear Mel,
So very happy to have met you and your beautiful and important voice
Thank you, sweet friend…blessings to you!
Enjoyed this post.
Thank you, Denise!
Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by, friend…looking forward to catching up on your blog this weekend! Blessings!
I could not agree with you more!! I love that this community has not only helped me grow in my writing but more importantly in my walk with Christ. You have been a major part of that growth and thank Him daily for that. Have a blessed weekend.
I feel the same way about you, friend…you reached out to me when I was struggling to find a place in this community. That meant so much…so, thank you! Blessings, friend…praying for you. I hope your weekend is a beautiful one!
Thankful that you’re an always present part of my Friday community, Mel!
Thankful for you, too, friend! Blessings!
This theme was one of my deleted posts
thank you for giving it voice! You’re twitter friendship is so big to me I’m buying us a couple of lattes the day we meet in real life!
That sounds like a fantastic plan! Can’t wait for the day, friend! Blessings.
I can’t wait to meet you in person! We all need to post this at our computers: “We each have a voice, and that voice matters.” Beautiful post, friend!
Thank you friend…I know, looking forward to that (in)RL hug! Blessings and happy weekend!
Amen, friend~ love your honesty and so I raise my hand and say, Me,too.
Me, too.
Mel this was beautiful . Your writing Is so significant to me . Even just seeing your beautiful face pop up on news feed made me so happy !!
Oh, hugs, friend! You are just the sweetest blessing…I hope you’re doing well.
Dear Mel
It is those hearts that feels your gladness and sorrow even across continents that lives with you in the unity of the Spirit of love!
Blessings XX
Mia
Thank you, sweet friend…blessings back to you!
Yes, I know that feeling and I also know God’s grace to show me I’m not insignificant in my smallness.
Love your heart in these words
Thank you, Amy…blessings to you, sweet friend.
Beautiful! I feel so blessed to be a small part of your online community and to think that I can contribute to yours. Isn’t it remarkable how God gives us exactly what we need? Blessings!
I’m blessed by you, Andrea, and I’m so glad you’re part of this community, too! I hope you’re having a great weekend!
This was absolutely lovely, and I so relate to all of it. It seems that all of us could use this as a daily reminder: “It’s just that God used each of my sisters to remind me that I am a small part of it all…but an important part.” Thank you for sharing your heart.
Each of us has an important voice and one that should be heard…thank you for being here and blessing me with your words, sweet friend!
Community makes the world feel less big and scary, doesn’t it? Your voice matters indeed, friend.
And so does yours…I’m so thankful for you, friend, and excited to see what God is going to do in both of us! Blessings and hugs!
Beautiful, Mel! There is no small voice. We often tell ourselves the lie that we will never be heard and then discouragement follows. Community in the midst of the big bloggy world helps to give purpose and fuel passion. Love your words, friend!
Agreed…this community blesses me more than I can ever put into words. Thank you for being part of it and being the wonderful encouragement and blessing that you are!
Your beautiful words have made such a BIG difference to me! Thankful so much for them and for you sweet friend
You are so welcome…and thank you for being such an important piece of my community, sweet friend. You are a blessing!
Ditto everything you said!! You are such a significant part in helping me feel part of this little community I happened to stumble upon a couple months ago when I was in a slump, feeling discouraged and insignificant out in this vast land of blogging. Love your voice, your thoughtful comments and the bright light you exude for us all!! Hope to meet you in real life!! I think the play date you mentioned would be perfect! 😉
You are so sweet…thank you for those words, friend. I still remember the first time I visited your blog and fell in love with your space and your heart. I’m so glad you’re here! Looking forward to the day when we can sit down for an (in)RL chat!
Blessings and hugs to you.
YES!!!! “Father, thank you that you can work through the small and insignificant…” Love this post and love you, friend!!
You, my friend, are a blessing. Watching God work in your life this year has been amazing…I’m so blessed to be dreaming and doing along with you! Love to you!
Lovely post, Mel! Your words often inspire me. And you are not the only one who sometimes feels small…online or in RL. Thankfully God will remind us how much He loves us and that makes us big in His eyes!
Beautiful reminder, my friend. Thank you for sharing that. I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend…blessings!
I really have struggled with this because i have been blogging for a little over a year and I see other blogs that have such a large and beautiful community and I want that but then I remember that I write because I love to write and because if I can just encourage one person that is better than 1000 who just read it and aren’t impacted at all. But I admit that I do love this link up because its when I get the most hits on my blog all week.
Jessica
http://mybeautifulli.blogspot.com/
In those months and years of “just” writing for me, I found that God really used that time to show me what He was asking of me. In His time, He brought that community to me…and, honestly, the FMF linkup is how He really started to build that community, so I know what you mean.
I hope you’re having a great weekend, Jessica! Blessings to you! 
Mel,
Thank you for being transparent in your writing. It’s hard to make it to all the posts for FMF. I randomly choose about 5 each week to read and comment on. If I get a commenter that I’ve not visited, I’ll visit her blog and leave a comment for her too. Being courteous helps in building a community. Don’t you think?
Happy Friday!
I try to stick to the reply and visit rule for every commenter. But sometimes it takes me all weekend to finish the list…and that’s ok. It’s fun to stop by so many blogs and hear so many different voices!
Blessings, friend…wishing you a great week!
It’s funny, I’ve been posting with this community for half a year and I am still feeling a little on the “outs”…. I keep reminding myself it takes time, and this confirmed it. Writing just to write, because God told me to write is really OK… the last time I did this bloggy thing, I was writing in a different genre, and I found a fun community there within a year… but they were not edifying for me… sarcastic mommy blogs are fun to read, and I had my circle, but I was told to drop it all, take a break and come back on faith. But I KNOW that there are other bloggers still looking for a community within the inspirational blog circles… now to find them and start building those relationships.
Great post!
Thank you, AJ…it’s hard to find that community, and I had to be patient because, of course, I wanted to be that IT blogger right away. But I’m finding that I like this even better…and this FMF community is full of amazing women. You’re always welcome there.
Hope you have a great week!
You are lots of things, but I do not see you as small. I think all of us feel that way sometimes – small and insignificant. I am glad God set you in this community for you and for me. You are a big blessing!
Thank you, friend…you are such a blessing to me, too! Thank you for being an important part of my community.
Have a great week! (((hugs)))
Loved it Mel! Gave me the warm fuzzys and now I want to have a sleep over
And crochet rainbow goodies for you! I’ll never forget that 
Me either…I love it.
Hope you had a great weekend, friend…blessings! 
Amen. Love the power of community! Bless you, sister!
Blessings, friend…thanks for stopping by!
Wow! You say it well!
From another small blogger, only I’ve not been brave enough to join the Five Minute Friday group yet. Just signing up for Allume has been a giant step! Perhaps I shall become brave enough to dip my toes into the group soon.
Deb Weaver
thewordweaver.com
Signing up for Allume is definitely a big thing…and I hope I’ll get a chance to meet you there! And I hope you’ll join us sometime for Five Minute Friday, too!
Blessings to you, friend!