Scripture
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…”
— Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)
I used to think gratitude had to be big to be real.
Life-changing stories.
Tears streaming down cheeks.
But most days…
well, they aren’t like that.
They’re quieter. More ordinary.
Roll out of bed.
Grab caffeine.
Answer emails.
Pay bills.
Live the day in the rhythms that seem like the “same old, same old.”
Some days I look around and think,
“Nothing spectacular is happening. Is this even worth noticing?”
And then I remember this line from Zechariah . . .
“Don’t despise small beginnings.”
Zechariah spoke those words to a discouraged people.
The temple — their spiritual center — had been destroyed by the Babylonians.
When they finally got the chance to rebuild, the process was slow.
The results unimpressive.
Some of the older folks remembered the old temple in all its glory and literally wept because the new one seemed… underwhelming.
The people felt like their efforts didn’t matter.
Like what they were building was too small,
too insignificant,
too late.
And right there,
through the prophet,
God speaks:
“Do not despise these small beginnings.”
The Lord rejoices to see the work begin.
It’s like God is saying,
“I’m not waiting until it’s perfect.
I’m celebrating the first brick you lay.
The smallest step matters to Me.”
What if gratitude works the same way?
What if God doesn’t need your gratitude to be sweeping or poetic?
What if all the Divine hopes for
is that you notice one small thing —
just one —
and call it good?
Tiny things.
Easy to overlook.
Easy to miss.
But what if those small acknowledgments are the first bricks in rebuilding joy?
What if gratitude doesn’t begin with fireworks —
but with flickers of awareness?
Zechariah reminds us that God delights not just in the finished temple —
but in the slow, sometimes clumsy process of people coming back to hope.
Grace and Peace,
Andrea