MomentumSample

Small Beginnings  

After reading the book Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner by Dean Karnazes in the spring of 2008, I was inspired to become an ultrarunner (those who race longer than the standard 26.2 miles). I had grand visions of crossing the finish line of the famed Western States Endurance Run, a 100-mile race, so I registered for a 50k trail race in Michigan, just to dip my feet into the ultra-scene. There was one “minor” problem: my body wasn’t even conditioned to run a 10k, let alone a 50k on undulating trails.

One milestone that stands out on that journey is when I completed my first 6-mile run. I remember telling Shelley to drive out to Litzenberg Park where I told her I would be running to from our house in Findlay, Ohio. Braving the state highway and avoiding being hit by passing semi-trucks, I eventually arrived at my destination tired, sweaty, and full of pride at what I saw as a huge accomplishment.

It’s amazing to look back to see how far my running has come since that day. Though I decided early on that attempting a 100-mile race wasn’t my cup of tea, running 6 miles is something I do today without a second thought. What seemed like a big deal in 2008 is now a daily ritual in 2021.

I certainly don’t look down on my small and humble beginnings as a distance runner. After all, I had to start somewhere. Since then, I’ve been able to steadily improve my running and drop over fifty pounds while also helping others as they navigate their own small beginnings.

In the book of Zechariah, after coming out of an 80-year Babylonian exile and having the glorious temple that King Solomon built be reduced to rubble, it was now time for God’s people to rebuild a new temple where Yahweh would reside and be worshiped. 

To the younger generation, this was a huge milestone. But to the “old-timers” who saw the glory and splendor of the previous temple, this latest edition paled in comparison. You can almost hear the chatter among the seasoned veterans, “I miss the good-ole days”, or, “They just don’t make 'em like they used to.”

God had a message for Zechariah to pass along to both young and old alike:

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (Zech. 4:10a NLT)

Sure, this latest temple 2.0 seemed modest compared to the previous version 1.0 but God still wanted them to celebrate the fact that construction had begun. Progress was now being made. A hopeful momentum was now set in motion.

So whether it’s rebuilding a temple or rebuilding our bodies, we can rejoice with the Lord to see the work begin. We can also rejoice in knowing that the same God who resided in a temple made of stones now resides in these bodies of ours (1 Corinthians 6:19) thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus.

With the help of God, each of us can watch the momentum build with our small beginnings!

“Father, thank You for rejoicing in our small beginnings. Rather than wasting our energy complaining, help us to instead focus on making progress no matter where we find ourselves. We ask for Your power to overcome any obstacle that may be slowing us down. May we see momentum build as our hope is placed in You. In the wonderful name of Jesus we pray, Amen.”