When do we have enough light for the next step?
Now.
But I can’t see very far ahead.
That’s OK. You only need one step at a time.
I was reminded of this wisdom by our quiet disruptor friend Amos in an email this morning. He shared a reflection from Henri Nouwen: ‘Enough light for the next step’ in response to yesterday’s post Where’s your compass?
Sometimes our view of the darkness can also be distorted. Late yesterday afternoon it looked very dark from inside our farmhouse. I was concerned that Steve was running out of light to do the alpaca rounds. But stepping outside he was surprised by the contrast. No head-torch required…
“…Mostly we have just enough light to see the next step: what we have to do in the coming hour or the following day. The art of living is to enjoy what we can see and not complain about what remains in the dark. When we are able to take the next step with the trust that we will have enough light for the step that follows, we can walk through life with joy and be surprised at how far we go. Let’s rejoice in the little light we carry and not ask for the great beam that would take all shadows away.”
Candles anyone?