My husband grew red zinnias from seed. He bought the whole kit and caboodle—the seeds, the “biodome,” the heating pad to put under it, the light to put over it. He painstakingly planted a seed per cup and watched and waited. He almost gave up. After a week or two, spindly little seedlings unfurled just a couple leaves at the tops. Bill vowed he would never again grow flowers from seed. Too much work; too few results. But he planted the leggy green things outside, and guess what?! God sends the sunshine and the rain on the spindly as well as the robust. And now we have a garden full of gorgeous red zinnias!
So much of life is like that. We’re tempted to give up on anything good coming out of small beginnings. We get overwhelmed by wrecked dreams, difficult relationships and challenging circumstances. But then we take a small step forward, and as time moves on we find hidden blessings. We come to appreciate life more. We deepen relationships as we work through problems. That’s so like God. Turning small beginnings into something beautiful.
“God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.” 1 Corinthians 1:28
We may not be able to save the world, but we may be able to save one soul. We may not be able to influence large crowds, but we may be able to influence a child or grandchild. We may not be able to earn a huge paycheck, but we may be able to earn enough to meet our own needs and some of the needs of others as well.
Too often we don’t try because the task seems overwhelming, the problem, daunting. But just as Bill’s little seedlings flourished into a beautiful bouquet, so your feeble attempts may surprise you. Make a phone call to restore a relationship. Try that exercise the doctor recommended. Have a little talk with that little one. Start that cleaning project. Sort those mementos. Take one bag of clothing to Good Will. Never underestimate what you can do when you do what you can . . . and let God do the rest.
