Life is lived one step at a time. If we’re patient, we can learn a lot from taking one step of faith—and then another and another.
In 1833 John Henry Newman was traveling from Europe back to his home in England. He was already ill and homesick when he was seized by an attack of malaria. To make matters worse, the easterly breezes stopped blowing, fog closed in, and his ship was stalled at sea. He longed for England—for home—and became frustrated at the delay.
While stuck at sea, his heart turned heavenward. In the past, pride and self-interest had weakened his faith. But not now. He was discouraged and needed divine comfort and assurance. He was enshrouded in fog and needed heaven’s light.1 During those days while becalmed at sea, Newman wrote the words for which he would long be remembered: “Lead, kindly Light, amid th’ encircling gloom; Lead thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home; Lead thou me on! Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see the distant scene—one step enough for me.”2
Often one step is enough. We may be paralyzed by pride or fear, not willing to take another step unless we know exactly where it leads. Or we may plot our whole path, complete with milestones along the way. Such goal-setting and determination can enhance life and be important for growth and progress. But as John Henry Newman learned, patience and peaceful resignation are also needed. Being stationary at sea can be as difficult as being tossed by the sea. We can’t always get the ship of life moving by our own resourcefulness and willfulness. Sometimes we just have to wait, to stay awhile in life’s present moments. During those seasons of life, inspiration and beauty can be born; faith in everlasting things can be rekindled. We can take comfort in the words of the psalmist: “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.”3
Program #3934
- See “Lead, Kindly Light,” in Karen Lynn Davidson, Our Latter-day Hymns: The Stories and the Messages (1988), 126.
- “Lead, Kindly Light,” Hymns, no. 97.
- Psalm 27:14.