"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubabbel's hand." Zechariah 4:10 NLTEvery good work of God has a beginning. Even though He has no beginning and no end, the works of His hands are full of beautiful beginnings, riveting journeys, and powerful outcomes. When I stepped into the season God called me to at the start of 2017, I had no idea where He was taking me, but I knew that some "former things" were passing away and (behold!) He was doing a new thing. It's hard enough to embrace small beginnings the first time. But can I tell you? I've found it's even harder to embrace them when God asks you to go back to that space and start again. I guess we assume that once we've embraced that season well and moved on, we're not going to be asked to start from scratch again. (Can you hear God laughing here?) I've learned that God really loves to bring us back to starting lines and construction sites, where trust in Him is required anew. Zechariah is visited by an angel from God who imparts a vision about the rebuilding of the Temple--emphasis on rebuilding. God was about to do a new thing from the ground up. The very first thing Zechariah sees in his vision are lamp stands of oil. God wanted him to understand that without anointing--without His Spirit--there would be a building, but there would be no Temple. The angel tells him that it will not be by "might or strength" that the Temple would be built, but by His Spirit. The oil represents the manifested work of the Spirit, the way the Holy Spirit is released through spoken and written words, signs, wonders, healing, and good works. But the Spirit does not work alone. He works through us. In chapter 4, verse 9, the angel says these amazing words: "Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it." God gives us the vision, ability, capacity, skills and favor to accomplish what He has asked us to build. He opens the doors by HIs Spirit. He supplies the resources, funding, and extra hands to see the work done. BUT He puts the plumb line in our hands. And even more amazing yet, He rejoices to see it in our hands. He rejoices to see us begin the work.So today, I rejoice in this small, new beginning. It started ten months ago with the breath of God's Spirit imparting the first of many beautiful, redemptive words that would become our first book together, Running from Monday. And with the building of this website and the writing of this first blog, I am laying the foundation and picking up the plumb line for the work that lies ahead. Thank you, Lord, for your Presence through it all, the power of your Spirit abiding within and resting upon this work under construction. I hold firmly to the task and loosely to the glory, praying only that your Kingdom come, that you be KNOWN and SEEN through it all.