Thankful Thursday: Small Beginnings

"Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings?" Zechariah 4:8

The first page was colored black--void of light, color, or shape--in the story of creation. That's how it looked before all life began. Then God imagined more and the Word spoke light into the darkness. A small, yet significant start to something bigger, more significant. And it was good.

God imagined more, added more, spoke more life into vast emptiness. Filling voids with sky, water, earth, plants, birds, fish, animals, man, woman--us. All was created--spoken into life by the Word--by Him and for Him. All began small.

In small beginnings lie hope, vision, promise for more God glory. Small lends itself to training, growth, maturity, and greater kingdom purposes. This lesson of small is where I'm living. Words spoken to me repeatedly since July, "Do not disdain the small." For with the smallest of seeds God's hands cultivate and multiply them into a great harvest, pressed down and overflowing.

When we hold a God-sized dream, we must be willing to accept the small beginnings and allow the small to birth the greater. Accept all opportunities as training and be assured that God will be faithful to complete the good work he began in you.

On this Thankful Thursday I am grateful for all small beginnings:

• Dawn's New Day, where I share God's heart with you
• Auntie's House, God's love gift to me on 2/14/09
• Published contributions at Encouragement Cafe (join me there today, won't you?)

In your quest to take small steps of obedience toward your God-given, God-sized dreams can you see the small beginnings He's placed before you? Would you share them with us?

On this Thankful Thursday won't you share what you are grateful for? We'd love to celebrate with you.

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

Lord, grant us patience and gratefulness in all our small beginnings. Through these times may we count them as blessings to hone our skills, spiritually mature and always bring glory to your name. Give us faith to believe that you will use all these experiences to complete the good work you began in us. Amen.

Filled to Pour Out

"Be confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippian 1:6

The sitting package weighs heavy on my mind. My husband wraps a prayer around me in whispers to the One who created me for this: an empty quill--filled from the Source to pour out His healing words across a page.

Pain and wholeness, hopes and dreams sealed tight in green and white, carried through glass doors. Obedience and sacrifice layed down. Let go. Now waiting.

Borrowed patience waiting. Silence fills and words run scarce. God speaks: 

"Write those things I say to you. Write and hold back nothing of all I shall say to you. For I shall speak to you in the darkness and shall make your way a path of light...Do not doubt or hesitate, for I the Lord your God go before you. You already have My promise that the work I begin I am able to carry through to completion." (Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved, Barbour Publishing, 2002)

Sweet words poured out upon my heart from the Source of all my writing. He's in control and will fulfill his every purpose. I wait on him and watch and give thanks.

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. Your love O Lord, endures forever-- do not abandon the work of your hands." Psalm 139:8

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

Lord, as I wait on you, seek your face--empty me and fill me from the well with water to quench my thirst-that always satisfies.