The older I get the harder it is for me to wake up in the morning. And day after day, when the alarm goes of blaring one of my favorite songs, it seems to me that it is impossible that it is already time to get back up! But sure enough, when I check the clock, it is. And every morning as I drag myself out of bed and make my way to the bathroom, I become slightly annoyed by the morning routine. With groans and grunts to greet the members of my family, I start the process. Just to start my day, I have a list of things to do to get ready. I wash my face, brush my teeth, put my contacts in, and on most days I shampoo, condition and blow dry my hair as well. I pick out my outfit, apply my make up and pour the coffee. Little tasks that inevitably need to be done every day.
So every morning, grumpy and still half asleep, I start chucking away. Just turn on the water I tell myself, my eyes still barely open. Get the soap. Wash. I literally talk myself through the routine. Just do the next thing. Just keep going. And as time ticks away on the clock, I take one step at a time, until I am ready to head out the door.
Some days the steps flow easier than others. Some days I make way through the process without even realizing it. Other days, I move slower than the last drop of syrup at the bottom of the container. I am lucky on the days that I am ready and toasting my waffles with minutes to spare. And panicked on the days that each step takes me twice as long as it should. Every now and again, I will have those days where I literally have to force myself, despite my will, to keep making the steps to get myself out the door.
Yet, every day, rain or shine, I manage to get myself in the car with at least five minutes to make the 8 minute drive to work. Green lights are my best friend on these days. And the weird thing is, without fail, every day I manage, whether I want to or not to just keep putting one foot in front of the other until I am completely ready for the day. Some days my hair is not quite dry or my make up a little disheveled, but for the most part, I am able to make every step I need to in order to be ready for what lies ahead.
Most of our lives are made up of steps. So much of what we do is a process. One thing must be done so that we can do something else and so the cycle continues. And isn't it so that there are always more steps for us to be taking. But, time and time again, we place one foot in front of another and keep going.
Some steps are easier to take than others. The mood of a day can determine the effort a step may require. Moments will be transformed by small and big steps alike. Projects will be accomplished in days, or weeks, or months. But regardless, we keep moving. We chip away. We move down the road. And the destination, whatever it may be, becomes one step closer.
I think the basic steps we take in our lives can be obvious. But what about our faith? Can we recognize the steps we are taking there? The other day while speaking with a priest, I was given a profound gift. For me, in faith and in life, the steps are tedious. Like the mornings when I roll out of bed looking like anything but Sleeping Beauty, sometimes I wonder what the point is of doing the same things over and over, or why there has to be so many darn steps in the first place. I am impatient and eager. And most days I wish that I could roll out of bed and straight out the door without any real effort on my part. If only life were that easy.
But that priest told me this, "Just take the next step to becoming a holy woman."
That is it. Simple. Straight to the point. No fluff. Just take another step. Just keep going.
And for me, those words were spoken to my heart straight from Jesus.
I think to often I want to be in the "know". I want to see the point. I want to vision the whole journey. I want to see my next six steps in order. And I want to be at the end of the process already. But God says to me, just take the next step. I can spend so much time worrying about the daunting task of choosing my outfit for the day, the entire time I am brushing my teeth. Or dread blow drying my hair as I make the coffee. But, God says to me, stop. Stop worrying. Stop planning. Stop trying to figure it all out. And just take another step.
Just like I do in my hectic mornings, I believe that when we trust God, and make our steps, slowly but surely we will make it out the door on time. And some days, it will seem nearly impossible to just make one foot step in front of the other. And at times it will seem like your flying through the steps, almost jogging down the path. But, the speed, the ease with which you take the steps, I do not think any of that matters to God really, as long as you keep stepping. And keep stepping towards Him.
Every second, of every day, God has the steps planned for you. You do not have to know where they lead or why. You do not have to worry about what is around the corner or if you are doing it right. As long as you keep stepping with God, as long as you put one foot in front of the other, and as long as you trust in His plan for you, you will be making your way to Heaven. One step at a time.
Comments
Post a Comment