I arrived at the gym that morning fully armed with well-rehearsed excuses dressed up as reasons to quit.
While others managed to lift twenty or thirty pounds, the weight of the five-pound dumbbell in my left hand was nearly unbearable. Sweat trickled down my back as I glanced around the gym, feeling sorry for myself because of this pathetic small beginning.
Anxiety skyrocketed my fibromyalgia pain to the limits of my endurance. Instead of complaining or crying — both of which I wanted to do — I stood tall, inhaled, exhaled, and finished the set. Electing to ignore my emotions, I prayed for healing instead.
I laid aside the mental battle at that moment and focused on the physical one. For twenty-plus years I have lived with unrelenting muscle pain, but the newly diagnosed pinched nerve brought on by cervical osteoarthritis limited the mobility of my left arm. I felt old, broken, and weary inside and out.
Driving home with mixed emotions, I resolved to keep trying. Three times a week, I would grit my teeth and fight through the pain to grow in strength. Within six weeks, I regained full use of my left arm. My trainer brought me to a place where physical therapy couldn’t take me.
Have you ever looked back on a season of life astounded by how far you’ve come?
Do Not Despise the Small Beginnings
Small increases in weight, alongside tiny corrections to my mindset, have significantly impacted my life. Our transformations are found in the compounding benefits of the power of small.
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin” Zechariah 4:10 NLT
The Secret Power of Small Beginnings
We often think we have to show up big to be successful or to have an impact. Five years ago, I could barely lift a five-pound weight, but today I bench-pressed 135 lbs. Five years ago, none of us would have thought we could survive a pandemic. But one moment, one day, one week at a time, we survived. Give thanks for the secret power of small beginnings. And if you’ve been holding back and waiting for the big thing to get started, stop waiting, and do something—anything, because God is at work in small beginnings.