Join Us for Weekly Inbox Encouragement + Access to a Full Library of Free Faith-Building Tools

Sign me up!

Kristi Woods

Encouraging Women to Walk Deeper with God

  • Home
  • About Kristi
  • Speaking
  • Shop
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • Blog
    • Spiritual Growth
    • Mentoring
    • Emotional Health
    • Faith Resources
    • Faith Holidays
  • Bible Studies
  • Nonfiction
  • Fiction
  • Free Christian Resources

Small Beginnings

September 9, 2014 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Beer bottles littered the supposedly clean and guest-ready room. It looked as though someone, a young sailor, party-hardy someone, had recently stepped out with the intention of coming back soon. We were standing, dismayed, in a bachelor’s junior enlisted quarters (BEQ) room on base, and I felt like an intruder stepping into a stranger’s personal space.
And the smell, oh, the smell…
A recliner that I certainly wouldn’t have placed one thigh on, let alone put my worst enemy in, was pushed to the side. The smaller stature, lone chair of comfort was sitting near the window alongside a sturdy-looking, institutional style desk. The chair’s color was masked because of the crowd of stains filling its fibers.
And it smelled. 
Vomit.
Urine. 
Alcohol. 
Their nauseating aromas mixed to clothe the room and my nose with their nasty cologne.
What had we gotten into? That was the question I asked myself. My husband had recently reenlisted in the Navy. We felt certain this was God’s call, so off he went. I stayed behind in Georgia for six months, finishing time at my comfortable, corporate America job while selling our comfortable, middle-class home. Hubby, on the other hand, forged ahead into the not-so-comfortable Navy lifestyle once again.
 
I had made the nearly six-hour drive to the Navy base to spend the weekend with my sailor husband. It was the beginning of several such trips. He had carefully arranged our overnight accommodations on base. We were certainly excited to see each other again, but this room wasn’t what either of us expected.
 
But then again… 
small beginnings aren’t always what any of us expect.
Do not despise these small beginnings, 
for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, 
to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” 
(The seven lamps represent the eyes of the LORD that search all around the world.) 
Zechariah 4:10 NLT

 

In the end, my husband managed to talk the front desk clerk into placing us in another room. It wasn’t much better, but at least the smell was a typical room aroma.
It was a small beginning. 
I was on the inaugural steps of a serious, not-simply-playing-church, walk with God, but man….was it ugly at times! Like laying the foundation of a new wall, those small beginnings were tedious, messy, and weren’t always glorious…and it’s likely a few folks questioned what on earth my husband and I were doing. Sometimes, I wondered what we were doing! But, as each stone was set in place on that wall, it was evident it was the Lord’s hand. And, His hand became more obvious with each stone set. He was building my wall.
When the Lord builds it, life is a beautiful thing. 
Perhaps you have a wall He’s building also? Maybe it’s messy right now or is taking longer than expected. It might contain experiences you’d rather not have walked through or experiences that seem lesser in importance. It might even smell. 
Can I encourage you today? 
Let’s not despise those small beginnings. When the Lord builds a wall, we will see that even our smelly BEQ’s will be used in that wall. It may not be evident initially, but He has a purpose for them. They might bring encouragement to another, they might make the wall fortified, building it stronger for future battles against the enemy.  Maybe they’ll be used to break through our pride, or the small beginnings might simply be there to bring Him glory. Regardless, when the Lord builds it, those small beginnings transform into a beautiful thing.
Diving Into Action~
Antonyms of “despise” include cherish, praise, and appreciate. As an action step today, why not take five minutes to list, either verbally or in writing, your praises and appreciation for the “small beginnings” in your life? Ready? Go!

Related

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Do you struggle with Rejection?

Subscribe below to receive the 3-day devotional Removing the Sting of Rejection in your inbox for FREE. Use this devotional to build your spiritual muscles to counter the sting of rejection.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome


Welcome! I’m Kristi.

Feel free to pull up a chair, make yourself feel at home. This is “our” space to be real, to grow in faith, and to walk deeper with God.

(Read more of my faith journey here.)

Be forewarned, however. This is a space for Sunday pewsitters becoming Monday through Sunday worshipers – a place where women walk deeper with God.  xo

Subscribe Here

KristiWoods.net sign-up form

YES, PLEASE!
Email me updates & offer access to a WHOLE LIBRARY of free faith-building downloads.

My Book Progress

Dear Daughter Devotional
Phase:Writing
100%

Now Available

Bible study title page: Fear What? Debunking the Power of Fear

picture of four Bible verse cards with flowers in the backdrop

NEW Scripture Cards!

Purple background with white oval and words announcing Created to Believe Bible Word Study

Picture of free 30-day Psalms reading challenge with Christian blog post title

Reading Challenge

Notepad, pen, glasses, and drink on a white surface with the title of this Christian podcast

A 6-Episode Podcast to Help Supercharge Your Faith

Speaking Events

 

Popular Posts

Introducing post 5 Ways to Grow Your Faith

Christian Blog Post title

Shop Here

Pictures of t-shirts, scripture cards, and a tote bag


 

 

This site uses affiliate links. Click here to read the full disclosure and here to read a note about our affiliates.

Topics

Anxiety Bible Bible Memory Verses Bible study Blogs Books Christian Marriage Christian Parenting Christian Podcasts Christmas Courage in the Bible Discouragement in the Bible Easter Faith Fear in the Bible Forgive Free Resources Friendship God Gratitude Guest Post Healing Hope Identity in Christ Love Outreach Prayer Salvation Testimonies Thanksgiving Trust

Pin with Me!


For Sharing

Kristi Woods

Copyright © 2021 Kristi Woods | Site by MRM | Privacy & Disclosure