"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," says the Tao Te Ching, an ancient Chinese text written by a teacher named Lao Tzu. The essential meaning of the message is this: no matter how big or daunting a task we face, we have to start somewhere at some time, so why not start here and now? Since any great accomplishment is achieved by a long succession of small steps, we can simply focus on completing the first one, then the next, and then the one after it.
During the evening of May 7, 2014, three men gathered at Community United Methodist Church for our first Wednesday night Bible study. Zach, the current pastor, opened the doors. Brett, a young man living in Brighton, walked in. And I was third. I had served the church in different committees for the past ten years, and even preached a few sermons as lay speaker. So on that night I would lead the Bible study. We arranged the chairs in a triangle (a circle required more than three chairs), and we began the evening's proceedings.
Yet, that was not the first step.
The first step was taken two months prior. In late February I was eating dinner at my kitchen table, alone as usual, when I started contemplating the sorry state of my social life. I supposed I was partly to blame. I kept to myself quite often, partly due to my quiet nature, and partly due my difficulty hearing other people talk. I was severely deaf since I was born, and while I learned to talk and socialize with hearing people, my hearing aids and lip-reading skills could only do so much.
So I was eating my home-cooked meal, most likely a chicken dish, when thinking over my frustration over my difficulties in meeting people and making friends. I examined my situation more closely. I felt I was meeting a lot of people over the years, but not getting to know very many of them. The desire for connection grew stronger, so I examined it further.
Then I realized that I needed to put myself in the right situation in the right environment to make it happen. It had to be in a quiet setting with a small number of people where they would be more willing to share more about themselves. Looking at my crock-pot, I got an idea: I could invite people to my house for dinner! Then I looked at Community UMC and saw plenty of opportunities. So the next Sunday I approached the pastor and his wife and invited them.
That was the first step.
During our dinner together at my house I talked to Zach and Kendra about the church. During our conversation I told him how I started a small group nine years earlier. I showed him the Bible study I created for it. Intrigued, he asked if he could take it home and look it over, and I gave him my consent.
About six weeks later, the Sunday after Easter, Zach and I announced to the congregation that we would be starting the Wednesday night Bible study group in May. While only three of us showed for the first meeting, Zach informed me that more would be coming. Even though it might not have felt that significant to some, the promise for deeper connections with God and community seemed attainable and worth the effort.
So we sang, we prayed, we shared our thoughts, and we took the next step forward on our journey together. And we believed that God would be with us along the way.
By Doug Storms
During the evening of May 7, 2014, three men gathered at Community United Methodist Church for our first Wednesday night Bible study. Zach, the current pastor, opened the doors. Brett, a young man living in Brighton, walked in. And I was third. I had served the church in different committees for the past ten years, and even preached a few sermons as lay speaker. So on that night I would lead the Bible study. We arranged the chairs in a triangle (a circle required more than three chairs), and we began the evening's proceedings.
Yet, that was not the first step.
The first step was taken two months prior. In late February I was eating dinner at my kitchen table, alone as usual, when I started contemplating the sorry state of my social life. I supposed I was partly to blame. I kept to myself quite often, partly due to my quiet nature, and partly due my difficulty hearing other people talk. I was severely deaf since I was born, and while I learned to talk and socialize with hearing people, my hearing aids and lip-reading skills could only do so much.
So I was eating my home-cooked meal, most likely a chicken dish, when thinking over my frustration over my difficulties in meeting people and making friends. I examined my situation more closely. I felt I was meeting a lot of people over the years, but not getting to know very many of them. The desire for connection grew stronger, so I examined it further.
Then I realized that I needed to put myself in the right situation in the right environment to make it happen. It had to be in a quiet setting with a small number of people where they would be more willing to share more about themselves. Looking at my crock-pot, I got an idea: I could invite people to my house for dinner! Then I looked at Community UMC and saw plenty of opportunities. So the next Sunday I approached the pastor and his wife and invited them.
That was the first step.
During our dinner together at my house I talked to Zach and Kendra about the church. During our conversation I told him how I started a small group nine years earlier. I showed him the Bible study I created for it. Intrigued, he asked if he could take it home and look it over, and I gave him my consent.
About six weeks later, the Sunday after Easter, Zach and I announced to the congregation that we would be starting the Wednesday night Bible study group in May. While only three of us showed for the first meeting, Zach informed me that more would be coming. Even though it might not have felt that significant to some, the promise for deeper connections with God and community seemed attainable and worth the effort.
So we sang, we prayed, we shared our thoughts, and we took the next step forward on our journey together. And we believed that God would be with us along the way.
By Doug Storms
