As Confucius once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." If a little baby just learning to walk were to stop to contemplate the many millions of steps that lie ahead, it would probably cry and go back to bed. But babies are blissfully unaware of all that. They just keep on walking, sometimes holding on to keep their balance but keeping on the move. It is also okay for us to hold on to keep our balance, as long as we keep moving forward.

There is a story about children playing in a field and discovering an old abandoned railroad spur. Each child tries to walk balancing on the rail, but most fall off after a few steps. Two smart little boys put their heads together and announce that they can walk the entire length of the track without falling off. The other children taunt them by saying, "Oh yeah, prove it." So these two lads each get on a rail and reach across to steady each other as they walk along the parallel rails the entire length without falling off. What neither could do alone, they could do together simply by holding hands.

Similarly in life we sometimes need to extend our hands to each other as we climb the steps towards the kingdom. Amos asked the question, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" It is important that we walk with those who are going in the same direction. If the two little boys had held hands across the tracks but each tried to walk in the opposite direction they would not have been able to continue holding each other’s hand. They both would have fallen off.

We only have to take one step at a time. We only have to live one day at a time. Looking at the whole of our future could cause us to give up in despair. As Jesus exhorts us in his sermon on the mount, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Many people fail because they do not follow this wise advice. "This is the day which the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it."

And we are not alone. God loves us, Christ gave his life for us, and our brethren and sisters need us as we need them to hold on to for support along the way. As Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me." We walk in faith, not trusting in our own strength, but resting on the everlasting arms of our heavenly Father.

Do not fear tomorrow. If we live another day, we will face it when it comes. This is the day to serve the Lord. This is the day to get up and get moving up the stairs to the kingdom, one step at a time. Don’t look up the thousands of steps ahead. Watch your footing and take the next step and then the next. Before you know it, you will have climbed a long way toward the top.

The year 2000 is almost over. How many steps are before us as we face the year 2001? Don’t stop to stare at the steps; thank God each day for the strength you have for that day and continue to move towards the kingdom, one step at a time. The Psalmist tells us "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and he delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with his hand."