It Starts Small

 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 

Acts 6:8

At the end of yesterday’s scripture reading, we encountered a man named Stephen.

¹⁵ And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Acts 6:15

God was with Stephen, so much so his face shone like an angel, yet despite his godliness, he was wrongly accused by his opponents. In response, Stephen launched into a detailed defense but to no avail. He died a martyr’s death.

When we read Stephen’s story do you stop and ponder:

Where is the justice?
Where was God?
Why didn’t God do anything?
That was not fair!

I know I asked these questions. I asked not for Stephen, but I asked for myself. I suspect many of you have suffered injustice in your life and have asked these questions. The wounds are so deep and they still hurt. It is unfair, how could someone treat you like that and get away with it?

When Jesus was on the cross, His body broken and torn with nails in his hands and feet, He prayed:

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided his clothes and cast lots.

Luke 23:34

Now, we read Stephen prayed a similar prayer:

⁶⁰ He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And after saying this, he fell asleep.

Acts 7:60

How is such a prayer possible?

We walked away from an old normal and we get to choose what we take with us. As we sojourn “in the in-between” we have a choice. We can choose to bring suitcases strapped to our backs and balls and chains around our feet weighing us down, exhausting every step forward, or we can simply chose to let it go.

Letting go is NEVER easy. It is messy and dark at times, but it does not come in an instant. It takes time to embrace the wounds, feel the pain, and grieve the loss of people and things that were apart of the old normal. You may even be struggling in grief over the loss of someone you loved and cherished that was taken from this earth. We never agreed to any of this.

A few years ago I was stuck in a dark time. A time I was on the verge of giving up. But through this long painful journey I finally went to the Lord and laid it all in His hands. It took along time to let it go, but I am glad I finally did.

Just as Jesus forgave those who crucified Him and Stephen was able to ask for God’s forgiveness and mercy on those killing him, we need to get ourselves to this place of letting go and instead of holding bitterness and a grudge, praying over our enemies.

Thoughts to Ponder:

• Who is that person you have a hard time forgiving?
• Why is it so difficult to let go?
• What is one small step you can take today towards forgiveness.

© Kimberlee Smith 2026 http://www.itstartssmall.com All rights reserved.