… if it’s allowed to.
“Who despises the day of small things?” ~ Zechariah 4:10
The book of Zechariah has in it the story of the second temple and it’s construction.
Seen by some of the old timers, they wept. Due to the fact that, this temple paled in comparison to the first temple, constructed by Solomon.
But it would be the “small temple” that would see the day of Christ, who would, and was to come, enter it, and clear it out with a whip of cords.
That day was grand… the first day that the first stone was laid… on a smaller foundation was despised… as a day of insignificance.
Do not despise the small things.
There is a GREAT principle behind this, and many other verses of the bible that talk about “small things.”
Things like a “tongue,” a “spark,” a “mustard seed,” and a “mans faith.”
Yet with each of these a GIANT boast, a giant forest fire, a giant plant of the garden, and even a GIANT of a man can come forth… from such humble beginnings.
Do not despise the small things.
When I picture my future as an acclaimed writer, Lord willing, I laugh at a story I could tell of humble beginnings… that when I tell it, even today, sounds like a lie.
My humble beginnings start humbly, on a small, humble hobby farm, that wasn’t a real producing farm… it was in the past… not when I was little.
The most humble aspect of it, that sounds like an untruth… that sounds like a politicians play on heart strings is…
it did not have running water.
The story goes my dad would razz my brothers when it was time to haul water in with old metal milk cans. If they struggled he would threaten them with going to get the neighbor girl, the real farmer, to come and haul it in for them.
“But come on Dave… really, I guess you had an old water well pump outside too!”
Well, now that you mentioned it… we did. With an old outhouse and Sears Roebuck catalog.
My uncle’s, Teno and Lorenzo, would laugh, and tell stories about having to remember to take the “priming water jug” to prime the pump to get it going… and watching for frogs in the springtime.
Just writing that down, it sounds ridiculous!
For the first seven years of my life I lived on “the farm.” Experiencing the joys of the woods, thrilling days of yesteryear re-runs of The Lone Ranger, and the paralyzing fear of violence, unworthiness, and shame.
“The Way” of self discovery is the way of self reflection and inner meditation of our individual personalities, trying to find the answer to the age old question, posed to ourselves, of “Who are you?”
Upon further review, meditating on Zechariah 4:10, and going deep into my past, I have discovered that I have “despised the day of small things,” despising my humble beginnings, being locked into a mental struggle, a mental arm-bar, that has me twisting myself against the juvenile, reminiscing joy of childhood, versus feeling utter shame, unworthiness, and loneliness caused by emotional poverty.
Father, please forgive me, I have to ask, “could my folks, and most importantly, my dad… could he have done better? Did he give his utmost?”
Lord Jesus, please forgive me, for asking that, but allowing me to… it no longer has any chains about me.
I know the same can be asked of me. And I know I come up short.
There is a quote by Aristotle… “Give me a child until he is 7, and I will give you the man.”
Truth is truth, no matter how you slice it.
The truth is… I never left the farm. I never left the farm behind, I never left the farm… mentally, emotionally, reminiscently, achingly.
Our brains are funny.
I was on the farm… 7 years.
With my parents… 18 years 2 months.
Have been out of my parents house since… I was 18 years 2 months and 1 day, still in school.
And so now as of today… I have been away from them for 32 years.
And away from the farm for… 43.5 years.
I believe Aristotle. I believe I am that 7 year old. In my mind.
I also believe Jesus Christ, and that… I should not despise the day of small things.
He says, in His written Word, concerning the little ones, “Let them come unto me.”
I may not have started out the healthiest of seeds… but little I was… and His Word says that I have been grafted into the TRUE VINE… being made able to partake of the life giving Spirit flowing through Him… being made able… period.
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