A drop of water may seem rather ordinary and unimpressive. And yet when very small amounts of water are dropped steadily, over extended periods of time, the results can be quite spectacular. Think, for example, of Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, or the Reed Flute Cave in China, to name only a few. It’s amazing how often water does its remarkable work one drop at a time—giving life to a plant, turning a field green, invigorating parched soil, filling a river or lake, and yes, carving into solid rock. Over time, small drops of water can make a big difference.
We can learn a lot from water drops—especially when we feel small and insignificant, or when it seems our best efforts aren’t getting the effect we hoped for. It may just be that we need to give the drops of water time to do their work. Whether we are learning a new skill or building a new friendship, it’s most often the steady, consistent effort that leads to spectacular results.
Actually, we have all applied this truth from the time we were children. We learned to walk one step at a time, gradually gaining confidence and strength along the way. In school, one assignment after another led to measurable progress in knowledge and understanding. And as adults, we take one day at a time as we navigate the twists and turns of life. Anyone who has ever learned a new language, a new instrument, a new technology, or any number of new abilities began simply by putting in steady effort over time.
So we just keep going, even when the task seems insurmountable and the challenge seems daunting. Some obstacles can be eroded only drop by drop. You can’t get a rock formation by throwing a boulder in the ocean, and dumping a tank of water on a plant can kill it. One drop at a time is the better approach. If we are patient and consistent, our small and simple efforts to change for the better, to help and lift another, can eventually produce something quite spectacular.
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November 17, 2019
Broadcast Number 4,705
The Tabernacle Choir
and Orchestra at Temple Square
Conductors
Mack Wilberg
Ryan Murphy
Organist
Brian Mathias
Host
Lloyd Newell
Hallelujah Chorus, from Christ on the Mount of Olives
Ludwig van Beethoven
The Lord My Pasture Will Prepare
Dmitri Bortniansky; arr. Mack Wilberg
Toccata in Seven
John Rutter
Peace like a River
African American spiritual; arr. Mack Wilberg
Over the Rainbow, from The Wizard of Oz
Harold Arlen; arr. Arthur Harris
Standing on the Promises
Russell K. Carter; arr. Ryan Murphy