Honestly, the biggest goal each day is to survive with all the littles and pets in a healthy condition, and to not have the house torn apart when my husband gets home. And then if I have time for something extra, I'll attempt something from the goal list for the week. But survival...that is the basic goal. :-)
This last week, it was so cold in our house due to below zero weather, that we were baking, cooking, pressure cooking etc to warm things up. My kiddos love "helping" me bake, so I had a step stool and kid seat situated so they could be up at the counter. Dumping in ingredients and mixing it up are their favorite parts. This time I let them put muffin batter "into" the muffin pans. Notice that I said "into"...because when you give a two year old a spoon and tell him to put the batter "into" the pan....it will go everywhere on the pan in his attempt to get it into the pan! All the while he'll keep telling you in his sweet little voice..."Make! Make!"
Honestly, my husband questioned (and the thought crossed my mind) if it was worth it to let the kids help make the muffins due to all the mess that ensued. But the way to big things is little steps. If I want my kiddos to be capable helpers in the kitchen as they get older, then it starts with learning basic steps now. Stir gently, put the batter in the pan, pour slowly, and lots of waiting.
We all want to be the big ones, the ones people write stories about. But do we ever stop to think about how much little is in the big? How many stones had David practiced throwing since he was a little boy, before his famous stone hit the big giant? How much time did Mozart or Bach practice before anyone knew who they were? How many normal, everyday people impacted the lives of George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., and Billy Graham over the course of their lives to help them achieve great things?
The way to big things is through little steps.
If I want my little ones to be able to care for their own homes someday, then I let my toddler drag the kid size broom around "sweeping". I have them help put away the kid dishes, set the table, put away laundry, etc. Clearly, it's much faster, neater, quieter, and less stressful if I do it myself. But if I don't allow for the time consuming little steps to happen, the big goals will never be achieved.
If I want to finish 10-12 books this year, I need to read this page today. If I want to lose the postpartum weight, then today I'll eat some vegetables. If I want to grow in knowing God more, then today I'll read my Bible. If I want follow Jesus' path for my life, then today I'll ask Him what He wants me to do.
When I taught school, we celebrated each small bit of growth as a big accomplishment. There's a lot of little steps between counting to ten, and double-digit division. We had to break it down into small steps, that built on each other until you reached the big goal. Each small accomplishment meant you were further down the track to where you needed to be.
Life's greatest achievements are broken into a series of little steps and small acts combined with perseverance. So often I feel overwhelmed looking at the big picture and wondering how I'll ever get there. But the secret isn't some magical program you can buy off the shopping channel. It's in small steps combined with great perseverance. It's in faithfully doing the mundane.
PS. Those muffins turned out great! So I'm hoping that the kids' character will turn out just as wonderful with time. ;-) Little steps, guys....little steps.
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