Baby Steps.
I wrote a short piece on my Instagram (@isleofview) last week about my frustration yet necessity for baby steps and the thought still hasn’t left my heart. Talking with friends recently about the state of our heart, about accountability and vulnerability, transparency and all that comes with it was a reminder that the slowing process is something that all of us, confident Christian women or no, struggle with from time to time.
Personally, I’ve always hated the two words “Baby Steps.” One of my favorite bloggers, author and business owners, Lara Casey, uses these words constantly and she’s so right. It starts with the baby steps. These two words are often used when encouraging someone to take small steps to achieve a larger goal. The bigger picture – achievable by “baby steps.”
You have to understand. I was the two year old who was always cautioned “don’t run” by her mother and continued to do so, even after I ran smack into a doorjamb and had blood pouring out of my nose (true story), clearly those two words were not natural from the very beginning.
But sometimes, we have to dig ourselves out with baby steps.
Yesterday, Zechariah 4:10 was spoken at church “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…” The context of this Scripture is referring to the rebuilding of the temple by the Israelites. The rebuilding, essentially, of the house of worship that was once the foundation of the Israelites very existence – their God, their way of life, their purpose. The rebuilding of this temple was a slow process and the people had to be committed to every step, regardless of how slow, in order to begin.
The same is true in our lives.
We must remain committed to every step of the process, regardless of the speed.
We can overwhelm ourselves by starting from scratch and trying to immediately formulate a five or ten year plan. Goals are great, yes, I’m still gung-ho about those. But somewhere along the line we have to be content to see the slow progress being made. To truly slow ourselves, take the baby steps and learn to embrace the power of patience.
I’m learning to embrace the baby steps. I’m learning to slow down in my relationships and have the hard conversations. To trust that it’s ok to question, it’s ok to wait and it’s ok to press pause every once in awhile. Most importantly, it’s good to do all of these things. It’s good to take baby steps because you then have the time to listen.
When we’re starting a new phase of life, looking a new promotion square in the face, or potentially answering a call that we feel God has placed on our lives, it’s not the time to rush. Choose quality over quantity in the decisions and moves we make. Take the baby steps. Regardless of whether you’re starting over, starting brand new or starting to move forward from where you are. And, most importantly, surround yourself with people who will keep you accountable to those steps.
Small Beginnings. Don’t Run. Baby Steps.
check out Lara’s “Little by Little” series for more tips on taking baby steps and making progress!