Walking With Christ

1 Corinthians 3:6-7  (6)I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  (7)So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.(ESV)

There’s something especially encouraging about new growth.

When a seed first breaks through the soil, its progress is easy to see.  One day, there’s only bare ground.  The next, a small green stem appears.  Soon, there’s another leaf, a little more height, and a stronger shape than there was the day before.

The milestones are close together, obvious, and easy to celebrate.

A new sprout doesn’t have to grow very much before the difference becomes noticeable.  Every small change seems significant because there was so little visible before it.  A new leaf can feel like an achievement.  A little more height can confirm that the plant is healthy, alive, and continuing forward.

The same can be true during the early stages of growth in our own lives.

When we first begin changing, learning, healing, or walking in a new direction, the progress can sometimes be seen from one day to the next.  We recognize the first victories.  We remember the habits we’ve left behind.  We celebrate milestones because each one marks territory we’ve never crossed before.

There’s value in paying attention to those early days.

Small beginnings may not look impressive to everyone else, but they give us visible evidence that something is happening.  Yesterday, there was no sprout.  Today, there is.  Yesterday, we couldn’t see the change.  Today, we can.

Don’t overlook the first signs of growth simply because they’re small.

Notice them.  Thank God for them.  Celebrate them.

The plant isn’t yet mature, but it’s no longer only a seed.