Little things add up.

Remember when you first realized the power of compound interest?  I couldn't believe it.  How could such a small difference add up to such a huge amount over 10 years!  I've been thinking about this lately.  Sometimes I feel like we're not spending enough time on spelling each day, or reading to my little ones.  I fret because I'm not spending as much time as I would like on Bible study each day or exercise.  But then I remember that little things do add up.

 
It doesn't seem possible that we'll read ALL these books in our homeschool this year.  Yet, we finished all our books last year and the year before that.  What's the secret?  Huge blocks of time for reading, reading, and more reading?  Surprisingly, no, though I would like that given the time.  One chapter at a time.  That's how we get through all those books.  One chapter at a time.

How about memorizing a book of the Bible?  A daunting task, to be sure, but it can be accomplished in much the same way.  One verse at a time.  And getting into shape?  One mile at a time.  The key is consistency.  Rather than becoming discouraged, we just need to take heart and do the next thing, even if we don't know how it will ever add up to enough. 

This must be God's design.  He certainly doesn't sanctify us all at once, but a little bit at a time.  Often we can't see the increase in our faith or the growth in our obedience.  We can't see how God is transforming our hearts and renewing our minds.  It happens little by little as His Word works in us.

So if you tend to have an all or nothing attitude like I do (which is why I gave up dieting long ago), be encouraged to work at things in your life and homeschool like God works in us- one day at a time.  Just choose this day to commit your time, your homeschool, your children, your body, your life to the Lord for His purposes.  He can take our little and make it into a lot over time.  Little things add up.