Small steps

What is the next step? How do you find it? If today confronts you with the task to make a decision, to disentangle a complex problem, to tidy up your apartment, house or studio, to find the path from darkness to light, from mental confusion to spiritual peace? Sometimes I remember the insight of a German author who wrote a comprehensive study of Greek civilization: "Because it is all connected, it doesn't really matter where you start. Start anywhere." (Jacob Burckhardt)

So I take from it, that we cannot really make mistakes. We can always put into practice what we know for sure. Take one thing that wants to be tucked away and find its proper place. Keep going.

Someone in our circle of friends is currently deeply troubled - not just a passing  sense of nothing feeling quite right, but more fundamental. A life crisis that doesn't go away with a bandaid but calls for transformation and reset and patience. Everything is on the table: Work, relationship, religion. We are doing what we can - from visits to cooking for him to providing comfort, silence, and chocolate. We are quietly present and just there. While I write this a cheesecake is in the oven. A squirrel in our open courtyard is enjoying the morning.

I can see the wisdom of taking the small steps, doing what we can, calmly and with grace, while Love is walking with us. We honor what Love has created and loves to dearly. All or us, all of creation. Love will never leave our side:

From Elena Mikhalkova
My grandmother once gave me a tip:
In difficult times, move forward in small steps.
Do what you have to do, but little by little.
Don’t think about the future
or what may happen tomorrow.
Wash the dishes.
Remove the dust.
Write a letter.
Make a soup.
You see?
Advance step by step.
Take a step and stop.
Rest a little.
Praise yourself.
Take another step.
And then another.
You won’t notice, but your steps will grow more and more.
And the time will come when you can think about the future without crying.

You can catch Life by the tail of its jacket, and you have the jacket. Any calm thought represents God becomes it originates in God, our dear, dear Mother Love. Any little spiritual idea represents the whole, so there is no insight or warm feeling too small. I know this from a time in my life where I cried every day, for more than a year - but eventually came out of it. Small steps, patience, modesty. Any pair of socks tucked away in its proper place is a gift to you when you need a new pair tomorrow. This new pair of socks is a promise.

A Christian Science hymn goes like this:
"All the way that we must go
We will take at Thy direction,
Where the floods of trouble flow
Find Thy perfect, calm reflection;
On the path that has no turning,
Patience, courage, meekness learning."
(by Edith Gaddis Brewer)

​And now I am taking the cheesecake out of the oven.