You Gotta Start Somewhere
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a few moments and allow yourself to just be. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
Imagine standing at the base of a mountain. Know that the climb before you, though it may be treacherous, can be accomplished one step at a time.
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.”
- Seneca
“You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!”
- Dr. Seuss
1 John 3:11
For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
Food for Thought
I have this strange quirk. I don’t like to be beside anyone when I use the treadmill at the gym. Although I am quite extroverted, I like to have my space at the gym. Last week, I arrived at my YMCA during what I call the Goldilocks Magic Window of Time – that short mid-morning space between not-too-early and not-too-late. In this short magical period, the treadmill room is generally empty – definitely no one beside me. Bliss!
As I was midway into my zone, I saw a woman walk slowly into the room with a gentleman companion. With a cane, her gait was slow of step and a bit off-beat in rhythm. Her face was pleasant, but she grimaced every time the cane tapped the floor. As they made their way into the room, even though the other treadmills were empty, her companion guided her directly to the treadmill only 6 inches from my right, and she began to step aboard.
“Nooooooooo,” I thought. “This is my magic window of treadmill time!”
I tried not to show my irritation and stay in my “zone”. Since we were quite close together, I saw the gentleman fiddle with the buttons of the treadmill, so that the belt began to move. With determination and focus, the woman put one foot in front of the other at about 1 mile per hour. He set the timer for her for 10 minutes and left the room. Even though we were so close that I could have literally put my arm around her, I don’t think she noticed me at all. She looked straight ahead and breathed in a rhythm that said to me her body and her mind were giving it all she had.
By now, my irritation was overshadowed by the heaps of guilt I felt. She was in some sort of recovery... maybe from surgery, a stroke, or an accident. How selfish could I be with my treadmill time?
About the 9-minute mark, the gentleman re-entered. She looked at him and said through heavy breaths, “I need to stop. I wish I could make it the whole 10 minutes.” He pressed the buttons again, and the belt stopped.
I saw him look at her with a smile in his eyes and say gently, “You gotta start somewhere.”
Afterwards, he helped her off the treadmill, put the cane in her hand, and she walked out while he stayed behind to wipe down the machine she used. I was about to speak to him, but I choked up, and felt tears well up in what I had just witnessed.
With a limp and a cane, this woman faced a new beginning. And it was painfully hard.
With patience and tenderness, this gentleman was helping her begin again. And he did it with love.
The beginnings in our lives can be as much a struggle as the endings we face. All of us, each of us, will experience sudden stops and shaky starts. It is the rhythm of our humanity.
The gentleman’s words were so simple yet so on point.... You gotta start somewhere.
Where will you start? Right where you are. How do you begin again? Begin with love.
Begin again.
Begin anew.
Begin knowing you are beloved.
The next time you go for a walk, tackle a chore, begin a project, or take on a challenge, notice how each step in the process – from the first to the last – is just as important as the others.
Our hope is that this Table Talk series inspires you to take small steps toward inviting others into deeper community with you. This printable version of today's reflection, “You Gotta Start Somewhere”, is for you to use in whatever way is helpful for you in your journey!
Blessing
As you move through the endings in life, may you feel the presence of the Holy One surround you – giving you what you need when you need it.
As you enter the beginnings in life, may you know deep down in the marrow of your bones, you are made in God’s image.
And through it all, may the gentle whispers fall fresh upon your soul, You are Beloved. Amen.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Together with a friend, name the endings that are occurring or have occurred in your life recently.
What could be a first step to beginning again?
How can you be a friend to someone who is going through a difficult new beginning?
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Ask your kiddo about a time when they were really happy something ended.
What about a time when they were really sad that something ended?
What would help them when they are unsure of starting something new? How can they offer that same help to someone who is starting something really hard?
Meet Our Welcoming Voice!
Rev. Elizabeth Parker Horton is the pastor of First Reformed UCC in Lexington, NC. She was part of the Inaugural Class of Wake Forest University Divinity School, and has been practicing ordained ministry for 20 years. Elizabeth is married to Dan, and she is the proud mom of Patrick, Parker, and Megan.
To hear more from Elizabeth throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!
Here are Five Things to Remember When Setting Your Own Welcome Table!