Don’t neglect the little things for they can become big things in a hurry

This past summer I was running down the road and some joker in front of me kicked up a rock, sending it right into my windshield. That small unmistakable “ping” put a tiny chip in the glass. At first I was frustrated but I quickly dismissed it thinking it was too small and insignificant to worry about. Life is busy and more important things took priority. After several months I forgot all about that tiny rock chip. 

Fast forward several months to cold weather coming in…I’m what you could consider a semi-clean freak. I don’t like messes and I really don’t like a dirty truck, so I decided to run my truck through the car wash.  As soon as I pulled in and that water hit my cold windshield, I watched a huge crack run from one side of my windshield to the other.  I sat there and couldn’t believe what happened right before my eyes. That small chip, which I had neglected for so long, had now transformed into a large crack across my windshield. After sitting there for a minute angry with myself and thinking how Ishould have known better, the lesson became crystal clear. Small things unaddressed become big things in a hurry. 

My inaction had allowed a small issue to escalate into a significant problem. Neglecting that tiny chip had led to abroken windshield that I couldn’t ignore. It was a reminder that much like the windshield, life’s small problems, when unaddressed, can snowball into major issues.  We would be wise to quickly address the tiny rock chips before the carwash of life hits and causes those chips to spiral out of control and become bigger issues.  

Addressing and dealing with issues early is the key to preventing them from growing and escalating into major problems. Little things unaddressed become big things in a hurry.