We marvel at the wonders of this world and we see them as if they always existed in their current state when in reality they were probably years, centuries, or millennia, in the making. Very few events in history happen instantly even though that may seem to be the case by one just coming on the scene. Greatness happens: little by little, moment by moment, inch by inch, penny by penny, grain by grain, piece by piece, one by one, word by word, brick by brick, stroke by stroke.
When I was a young man I became an apprentice bricklayer and eventually a journeyman. I can remember how in awe I was to see large buildings emerge from the process that I was a part of, ‘one brick at a time’.
Years later I graduated from the university and started a new career, bought a new home. There was no money to buy decorative pictures. I decided to try my hand at oil painting, and I thought, maybe if I were good enough I could decorate our home with my own paintings. I am not ordinarily easy going, nor a patient person and I wondered if I would have the patience for such an undertaking. I bought my first canvas and built an easel to mount it on, then I began my venture. I had never recognized any artistic ability in me nor had I ever attempted to do anything artistic before that time. But brush stroke by stroke an image began to emerge and finally my first painting was finished. Was it anything to brag about, I think not; but it was a start and stroke by stroke and painting by painting I eventually had paintings hanging on our walls. They were not professional but were nice and decorative. Before I gave up painting, I had painted enough fairly nice paintings that my children requested them for their own homes.
When we think of a person’s pursuit of a college education and the capstone diploma, it wasn’t done over night. Twelve years of public school, then registering, class by class. Each class requires books and papers and tests. Word by word, test by test, paper by paper, class by class, term by term, year by year. Finally it is over and, tear by tear, you celebrate.
I was talking with a woman the other day and she was telling me about her childhood. She said she was raised by her grandmother and was expected to do chores to keep her busy and out of mischief. One of her assignments was to pull weeds in the front yard and to make it seem less difficult she was given a three foot by four foot frame to lay on the ground and pull weeds from. So the task had changed from the impossible task of the whole front yard, to just the three by four foot frame. When she pulled all the weeds inside the frame, she moved the frame and pulled more but it always seemed easier because of the frame. Frame by frame!
My daughter is a busy wife, mother, grandmother, housekeeper and wage earner, as well. She often finds herself a little harried and frustrated. One day her young son, recognized his mother’s frustration in trying to do too many things, and said to her; “Mom, slow and steady wins the race.” This was shortly after he had read the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. All things seem easier and life is much smoother and less frustrating when we try to slow down and take it one step at a time, step by step. As J.R.R. Tolkien said, “Little by little, one travels far.” From a song I heard along the way, “Little by little, and one by one the greatest deeds in the world are done’… Little by little, and day by day, we learn life’s lessons along the way.” Timothy encouraged us thus: “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) We are the offspring of God; should we go through life too fearful to attempt great things, when we can succeed, little by little, step by step, word by word, brick by brick, frame by frame, stroke by stroke? In family research, it is person by person. The Lord told the early saints, “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.” (D&C 64:33) Alma said it a little different,
“… but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.” (Alma 37:6)
May God bless us to not weary in well-doing and to always know that by small means great things may come to pass. Let us be courageous enough to come back to Him with our quiver full of deeds well done and not as ‘a cloud with no water’ or ‘a tree without fruit’.