The Next Small Step

By Engr. Carlos Cornejo

God pays attention to small things.  We should too.  When Christ did a miracle of multiplying the loaves and fishes to feed five thousand people, he instructed his disciples to gather the left-over food.  “When they all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’  So, they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.”  (John 6:12-13) In fact, God rewards generously those who take care of the little things, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much: enter into the joy of your master.”  (Matthew 25:23)

Many people are not moving with God today simply because they were not willing to take the small steps He placed before them.   Let’s look at the number of young people who have finished college in the Philippines for example.  Statistics show that out of 100 who enter elementary education both public and private schools in the Philippines only 14 would graduate with college degrees.  What happened to the rest?  Is it because of financial constraints?  Public education in the Philippines is almost free.  I think it’s more of an effort problem rather than a monetary one.

If you have received an invitation to get into a particular area of expertise, you should leap at the opportunity—no matter how small.  Successful people are those that grab the opportunity that comes to them and never let it go until it bears fruit and even make it grow further.  Regina Brett, the author of the best-selling book, “God Never Blinks” says, “Usually we know the next step to take but it’s so small we don’t see it because our vision is focused too far ahead, and all we can see is a scary leap of a small, simple step.  So, we wait.  And wait.  And wait, as if the Master Plan will be revealed in a massive blueprint rolled out like a red carpet at our feet. When in doubt do the next right thing.”  When life stares at you and would ask you, “What are you going to do with your life?”  The answer is do the next right thing and the next.  And before you know it, the series of “doing the next right things” would have transformed your life.

For those who have stopped schooling for many years and are having second thoughts of going back to school to finish a degree because they are too old or have forgotten what they’ve learned long ago, should learn from the example of Jesus Tiwan who went back to school to take up a college degree at the age of 38 in Talisay City College.  Mang Tiwan never gave up on his dream of finishing a degree and graduated last August 2022 at the age of 42 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education.  Nobody is too old to learn, and nobody is too old to finish a degree.  Our bodies might become weak when we age, but our thinking abilities can remain sharp when we decide to use the gray matter inside our head to embark on a life of learning.  It’s just a matter of doing the next right thing.