small beginnings

do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin... zechariah 4:10

i read this verse the other day and just loved it. what a beautiful sentiment. what a lovely truth. what encouragement for the soul. i must admit that i am not great at "rejoicing in the journey". i want to see results. i want to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible and just get things done. i want the end. i want the outcome. i also want big changes and big actions. it is hard to get excited about the mundane and small things of this life. but so often, the big things come from humble beginnings. just doing the little things  - and doing them well and with consistency. gosh, that's hard. it is often thankless and unglamorous. but praise God that He rejoices in these small beginnings. He is delighted to see us put one foot in front of the other and start a task. He likes to see us get the ball rolling. and He can do big things with small things.

i have been encouraged by these truths, especially during this stage of life. the life with a newborn phase. it is sweet, yes. but it is also mundane. it is really just about doing the thing, day in and day out. feeding and burping and changing diapers and clipping nails and bathing and dressing and undressing and rocking and singing and swaddling. and doing that for about eight cycles in a 24 hour period. on repeat. every day. for weeks. small beginnings indeed. there isn't much that is remarkable about those early weeks. and yet, there is so much that is remarkable. big things come from the little things. staying consistent. doing the simple things well. setting a foundation. and instead of being buried (and bored by) a sea of wipes and burp cloths, i find comfort and delight in the fact that God is honored by these humble beginnings. i know that things will get more interesting and engaging and fun...in due time. i know that i will begin to see fruit from all these tiny seeds sown. but for now, i just do the work. i begin. i continue. and i anticipate the big things that God will do.