One Step

My devotional book 365 Devotions:  Savor, Living Abundantly Where You are, As You Are by Shauna Niequist has been lying next to the desktop computer in Hilary's old bedroom for a month or two.  What got in the way of my reading diligently every morning?  The bookmark was between May 18 and May 19.  Mom died on May 19.  Enough said.

This evening I skipped ahead to check out the devotions for today and a few days previous.  Since today is the Summer Solstice, some of her thoughts revolve around the height of summer and common activities, but that isn't what is on my mind today (well, it is, kinda, but not really what I want to write about today).

I jumped back to June 19 to the devotion titled "One Step."  In it Shauna discusses women who are very passionate about a project or activity and pounce on it wholeheartedly and with great enthusiasm.  That has been me at times, but often I burn out and move to something else too soon.  Then I became a little discouraged that I once had so much enthusiasm and really enjoyed an activity but the passion just wasn't there anymore.

The bottom line is this.  We all have passions and activities that we enjoy.  We don't have to lunge at them full force in order to accomplish something.  All we have to do is take one step.  Just one.  After that step another one will follow naturally.  Think about a toddler learning to walk.  Just one step and the sense of accomplishment on that child's face!  Soon there is another step, then one more, then he or she is off and running across the yard, just out of your reach (as I know from experience yesterday when Owen took off and left me-fortunately in their back yard).

Right now so many conflicting things are tugging at my attention.  Cleaning out Mom's house.  Cleaning out the house at The Farm.  Putting the binding on the quilt for our bed.  Finding places for everything we are bringing home from Wooster.  Painting our bedroom.  Enjoying summer time.  Being with the kiddos.  Reading for pleasure.  Sitting in the sunroom enjoying the views.  Sitting in the hot tub.  I can't seem to do it all and what I am doing seems to be done haphazardly. 

I have to remember - one step at a time.  If I take one step, another will follow.  The houses will be cleaned out.  The quilt will be bound.  The room will be painted.  A book or two will be read.  Just relax and take one step at a time.  One step.