Some mornings I wake already carrying the weight of tomorrow.
Before my feet touch the floor…
before breakfast…
before the kettle boils…

I’m already trying to finish the day before it has even begun.

Where will I live?
How will I earn enough?
What if I make the wrong decision?
What if I never figure this out?

One morning I realized something.

No one but me was asking me to carry all of that before breakfast.
No one had placed that burden on my shoulders that day.
I had.

So I stopped.

I took a breath.

And I asked myself,

“What is actually required of me today?”

Not next month.
Not next year.
Today.

Right now, I can get dressed.
I can pet my dog.
I can make a cup of tea.
I can empty the car.
I can fold the laundry.
I can answer one email.
I can take one walk.
I can pray.

I can breathe in.
I can breathe out.

That is enough for this moment.

The truth is, there is nothing I can do today to solve my entire life.
But there are faithful things I can do today.
Small faithful steps.

One ordinary day at a time.
One faithful step at a time.

Books help.
Writing helps.
Friends help.
Mountains help.
The ocean helps.
Quiet helps.

I’ve spent years waiting for one great breakthrough.
Instead, healing has often arrived quietly.
One ordinary morning at a time.

One cup of tea.
One deep breath.
One next step.

I still don’t know exactly what the future holds.

But I’ve learned something that has brought me peace.
I don’t need to know the ending while I’m still in the middle of the book.