STARTING SMALL

We are all aware of the truth that big things often come in small packages and that size is not always a measure of worth. In fact it almost seems that smaller is better and that less is more, or at least it often happens this way in life. There are thoughts to reflect on in every one of these truths to be sure. There is another truth about size and that is that if we want something to become great, we really have to start small.

Corporations do not begin as corporations. Often they begin as a one-man operation in the founder’s garage. The Ford Motor Company began that way. The telephone company began with one man and his associate. Microsoft began with two college dropouts and an idea. The list is long. The founders may have begun with big dreams but those dreams could only begin to come to fruition by starting small.

So with the kingdom of heaven, with the proclaiming of the Gospel message, with the church: the seed has to be planted and then take root before the tree can grow into a fruit-bearing plant. The yeast has to be mixed into the message so that the message can be expanded. The Gospel message is proclaimed one person at a time and the church grows one person at a time and we grow as persons one day at a time. We do not arrive in this world as adults. We grow into it and we grow up.

We often find ourselves impatient with the slow pace of things, frustrated with others because they are taking too long to catch on, angry because the situation is not going as planned. When that happens, what we need to remember is that growth always takes time and almost always takes longer than we had planned and certainly much longer than we desire. We want a solution to our problems sooner rather than later, now and not tomorrow, easier rather than more difficult.

I sometimes think Jesus must have been impatient with the slowness of his disciples to catch on and with the reluctance of so many to even give him a hearing. But Jesus was not. He knew it would take time for his message to get through and that it probably would not finally sink in until after he was gone. And so it happened.

I think that is one of the reasons why he told parables about the growth of the kingdom. He did so to remind his followers that they should not become frustrated when it seemed as if they were failing and that they needed to just hang in there. The message would get through, eventually. And it did, as it always does. As it always will.

When we start small, as we must, patience is a virtue we must cultivate especially when if or when we find ourselves in over our heads with an issue, whatever the issue. We want a vaccine to kill the virus and we want it now; but it will take time. We want to get back to normal, whatever that is, but it will take time. Everything that is worthwhile takes time and usually more time than we would like.

In the meantime, whatever it is that we are awaiting, we do so knowing that all time is in God’s hands and in God’s good time all will be well.