It is Just a Little Creek!

We just returned from vacation in Colorado.  It was a wonderful time.  We visited the Rocky Mountain National Park on Friday, July 29th.  We were walking to this historic site when we crossed this creek.

This creek looks very ordinary and small.  You wouldn’t think much about it, except to observe its natural beauty as you crossed it.

Would you believe it if I told you this small creek is the beginnings of the great Colorado River?  Some 10 miles upstream in the mountains of the park this river finds its headwaters.  It is from this little stream, a little creek that looks very ordinary and inconsequential, that one of the most important rivers in the Southwestern United States originates.  It is 1,450 miles long and drains a watershed that encompasses seven U.S. and two Mexican states.  It is known for its dramatic canyons and whitewater rapids.  It is the river that has cut the Grand Canyon.  It is a vital source of water for agriculture and urban areas of the Southwest.  It furnishes irrigation and municipal water supply for 40 million people.  It is used to generate electricity and is a major source of recreation through its rapids, lakes, and fishing.  The recreation on the river provides jobs for 250,000 people and contributes $26 billion to the economy.¹

All from this little creek!

by Paul Hermans – 9-27-12, Creative commons – Wikipedia

This encounter with the Colorado brings several thoughts to my mind about ministry and church work.

• It is easy to underestimate the longterm significance of something at the start!  If I didn’t know the name of this little river, I would have estimated that this was just a small insignificant creek.  I would have thought it did very little besides provide some fishing recreation in the National Park.  This is how it is with church ministries as well.  When we are close to the start, we cannot properly estimate the greater significance they will have in the future.  Jack Zorn could not estimate the tremendous impact for thousands that his Lads to Leaders program would do when he started with a handful of boys in an Alabama church.
• It often only takes a start and then lots of contributions along the way to make something succeed.  The river is successful because it grows!  It has seven large tributaries and many other streams and creeks that contribute to it.  It receives water from snow melt and rainfall that cause it to swell as it flows from this small creek south.  Church projects are successful because of the contributions and efforts of people along the way!  Good works grow and swell over time as other Christians come on board and contribute to the cause.  Our job as church leaders is to be visionary and start ministries trusting that others will come on board and contribute.  I think of our Youth Camps across the country as an example.  Someone had to start them, often with meager beginnings, but through the years the continuing efforts of many Christians have helped them grow and develop.
• God is in the business of excelling our expectations and doing far more than we ever imagined he could when we step out in faith and start!  God created the Colorado River!  The famous miracle of Jesus multiplying the fish and loaves illustrates that little is much in the hands of Jesus.  The church itself is an example of God’s power to start something small and increase it to have world-wide influence and significance.  Kingdom business is about God multiplying and working his greater purposes through our meager efforts.

The Colorado River reminded me of these wonderful truths.  I returned from vacation inspired to dig back in my heels and get more works started for the Lord.  I want to start some new ministries over the next year.  I want to trust in the Lord to give the increase.  I want to not be discouraged when I see existing ministries struggling, knowing my vision is very limited!

Will you join me?

¹ – Wikipedia page on the Colorado River