Steps

Thanks to TV, movies, web posts, twitter and more, life often seems to move from one huge mind-boggling event to the next.

Replays and closeups, slow-downs, and speed-ups bring us right into the action and give heart-stopping coverage.

Seems like each week there is a new championship match...from anywhere in the world. The new world record holder is..... Wasn't the world soccer competion fabulous!? And here comes football...and the boys of October.

After awhile seems like we might start to conclude that that is normal life, after all.

And, if we are not aware, this can lead to some very poor self ratings. (Ever seen me play soccer?)

Well, I really enjoy all that stuff...but want to go on record today reaffirming that most of life is really about taking the next modest step.

There aren't really a whole lot of leaps across a canyon...or jumps into starry places, or records climbing those 14ers. It is mostly about doing the next modest, even insignificant thing. Taking a bunch of little steps that lead you to that worthy end that few people see, but to you and God, really does mean a whole lot.

I remember Dr. Gordon Fee, New Testament world class scholar, and writer of the 850 page commentary on First Corinthians, summing up a teaching on the christian life by saying:
"As I end, I want to quote a poem that to me puts this whole thing of living for Jesus in proper perspective. And here it is:
Plod on
Plod on
Plod on
Plod on
Plod on
Plod on
Plod on.

I wonder if this was a bit of what Saint Peter had in mind when he wrote to early christians with these words:
"If you endure...this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you. leaving you an example, that you shold follow in his steps." I Peter 2...
....and that for Peter included countless actual steps in his living out the Jesus life, right next to Jesus.

So today, may the Lord give each of us the grace to make that phone call, pull those weeds, read those texts, call those screams, get that exercise, send that note, wash those dishes.

Steps...along the path of real champions,
indeed.

Selah.

David