“Little by little” he says, and on the inside I scoff. “Little by little?” I think, “I could have this built in a day if we did it my way.
“Little by little” she says, and I hold back the eye roll I’m feeling. “Little by little!” I complain to myself, “if I just turn the heat a little higher these plantains would be done on time for dinner.”
“Little by little, little by little!” I turn the words over in my head, “Everything here is so slow, so inefficient!”
But then I stop, I breathe, I pray, and little by little, it clicks into place.
“Little by little” because when the building project is rushed it’s not just screws and nails that get left behind, or forgotten. The good conversations, the music swaps, the dance breaks, and the games of baseball with leftover bamboo and rotten fruit get left behind as well.
“Little by little” because when the heat is high, dinner may be on time, the outside of the plantain gets burnt, and the inside won’t get cooked all the way through. And as you struggle to manage heat and cook time, you’ll miss sharing testimonies over the stovetop. You miss the opportunity to grow in flexibility, and to have the best possible plantains.
“Little by little” because when you rush a relationship, the person in front of you is left feeling unworthy of time, patience, and love. Jesus Christ did not pray for his disciples once and then leave them behind to figure it out for themselves. He walked with them for the 3 years of his earthly ministry. He answered their questions, he knew them by name, he knew their lives and their families.
“Little by little,” I say to myself when I ask for someone’s name, or how they are feeling.
“Little by little,” I say, when I return to the same street corner to talk to the same homeless man I just prayed over yesterday.
“Little by little” I am learning that efficiency has never been the key to loving others well. I am called to love others as Christ has loved me. I am called to bring people back to the heart of the Father, and make disciples as I go. [Matthew 28:16-20]. It doesn’t matter what I am doing; I get to do EVERYTHING to the glory of God. Speed, efficiency, and pride are not fruits of the spirit. Peace, patience, and gentleness are.
“Little by little” I am discovering this patient approach to ministry is just as valuable when I’m building a structure as it is when I’m building a relationship with someone I met on the street. I have always loved doing things quickly, being the strongest, meeting everybody’s needs all at once, and through that approach to life I have missed out on so many opportunities.
Jesus laid down everything he had to love me. I can lay down my need for speed and efficiency to love others as Christ has loved me.
