Bit by Bit

 April 27, 2023

In a conversation with a friend yesterday, he commented on my writing with these words: “I don’t know how you come up with stuff day after day.” To tell the truth, I don’t know, either. There is one secret however, that’s worth sharing.

The weather these last few days has been cool, but dry, so Linda and I have taken advantage of these days between the rains to get some yard work done. In the past week, I got my beehives prepped for summer, mowed the lawn before taking the tractor in for its annual servicing, dug up a garden for three blueberry bushes we planted and mulched, raked, edged, and mulched her terrace garden, and cleaned up some prickers along the creek bank. I fixed a floor vent I’ve been meaning to get to for a couple years, and got some redwood down from the garage loft for a project I’ll start this weekend. All of that is in addition to prepping for our men’s Bible study, rehearsing for Sunday worship, hosting a prayer breakfast with a good friend, watching two tennis matches, and leading our 6:00 am men’s prayer meeting this morning.

Until putting it down in writing, I had no idea it’s been such a busy week! I thought I had been somewhat lazy; it didn’t feel like I got that much accomplished. So here’s the secret; it comes from Isaiah:

“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.”” —Isaiah 28:10

I’ve been fortunate to have been at this for a long time. I preached my first sermon on February 1, 1970, so I’ve had my share of experience which gives me a deep well of experiences and ideas. It didn’t come to me all at once. Like the work in our yard, a little bit here and a little bit there eventually adds up. So don’t despise small beginnings or minuscule progress. One tiny step at a time, and eventually, you get to your destination, whether it’s a tended yard, a responsible young adult, or a life of integrity. As Isaiah put it: “For precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.””