The Power of Baby Steps

 

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. "

Zechariah 4:10

Baby steps. As a young mother, I eagerly awaited the day my firstborn would take her first steps. I was only 25 and unsure how I thought this milestone would occur. I had virtually no point of reference, mentor, or experience with babies, but I could not wait for that day to come! Surprisingly, it didn't happen exactly as I had imagined. There was no taking off one day without any former signs. I began to notice the pulling up on things, then came steady footing, followed by a look that seemed to say, "I really want to go over there. But how?" This was followed by a calculated release and letting go only to dive, sometimes face-first into the carpet. Occasionally, a case of stubbornness would arise, and the decision to plop down and sit this one out would take over. It wasn't worth the risk of getting from point A to point B. Then, when least expected, she took off!

I still remember the beeline made across the living room floor before realizing what she was doing and reverting to plopping down - a much more familiar position. Yet, I knew there was no turning back. Her horizons had been broadened, and soon, I would see this mobility overtake her contentment with a sedentary existence. It didn't happen in a day, a week, or even a month; it was the steady building of understanding that there was more possibility, opportunity, and fun if she could rise from a crawling creature to an upright one.   Life was never the same after that discovery, and I will say that my second little one followed suit; with both, my existence became more challenged as well. Learning to walk was essential to get them ready for so much more. I can't imagine my oldest, now a school principal, and my youngest, a commercial property accountant, ever getting to where they are today if they had decided only to crawl through life. 

In the fourth chapter of Zechariah, this prophet faces the daunting task of rebuilding their homeland. Almost eighty years have passed, and they have returned from exile in Babylon. Zechariah, charged with encouraging the rebuilding of the temple and the Israelite's relationship with God, has some work to do. Some of the people returning have lost their identity as Israelites and are unaware of the beliefs of their ancestors. The land they have returned to is in a state of rubble, and always at their gate, which doesn't even exist, are neighboring enemies that do not welcome these new folks to the neighborhood. Displaced in Babylon so long ago, now returned to a place that was supposed to be "home," with some who had never experienced this place was seemingly strange and very unappealing. It was downright confusing and overwhelming. Yet amid the chaos, God was with Zechariah. He made His plan known through visions that showed Zechariah what was coming someday - a Messiah whose kingdom would be eternal. It is a call that would take more than what was seen on the surface, which seemed somewhat unreachable at this point, and a desire to take the steps necessary to move forward in faith and obey God even though they could not see the end or when the promise would come. 

Dear friend, the same is true for us. It is so easy to be overcome by the tasks that lie before us. It is so tempting to get caught up in demanding to see the result now and forget that God's work isn't always an easy process and that we may not all see the fruition of His plan. It's a lot like learning to walk, beginning with a thought, a what if I... Maybe I should... I feel led to... which is quickly followed by the sizing up, the thinking about what it will take to attain this goal, and finally, it's the action steps, including the falling, the failing, and the getting back up again with new strength and vigor to move forward a little. It's knowing that there will be more spills, falls, and outright failures but a burning desire to keep an eye on what we are trying to obtain. So that when we reach that place, whatever that looks like for each of us, we will see the value of baby steps. Looking at the "What Ifs," Sizing up the "Maybe I Shoulds," and seizing those "Take Off moments" don't just belong to ancient temple builders. They belong to each one of us who understands the power of small steps that lead to fulfilling God's purpose for our lives. 

So... let the work begin!