As ever when we return from Spring Break and approach Pascha and the end of the school year, we have so much to take in between the beautiful spring weather, the numerous and rich church services, exciting sports championships and season openings, mounting deadlines and culminations, and thrilling summer plans ahead. We are at the summit—with Pascha at the apex and a race towards the close of the academic year in our descent—and the air can start to feel thin. 

So much demands our attention and requires our thought, care, and time, the precious commodity that swiftly dissipates. We can begin to feel overwhelmed and bound by our many obligations and desires. In The Social Contract, Rousseau says “L’homme est né libre, et partout il est dans les fers” or “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” God has given us free will, and a beautiful world to explore and appreciate, yet we are ever tied down and burdened with earthly cares. We feel imprisoned by the many daunting tasks ahead, the interminable checklists in our minds of impending due dates, time-sensitive tasks, and duties.

How do we break free and fully turn to God, to that “good part, which shall not be taken away” (Luke 10:42) from us? We cannot ignore our responsibilities. Neither can we let them overtake us. Rather, we need to tackle them and achieve them one step at a time. As the beautiful Spanish poem and song by Antonio Machado says “golpe a golpe, verso a verso” or “blow by blow, verse by verse.” We must fully embrace each moment, be present, and tend to each care little by little. 

As long as we walk in faith, we know that each step will bring us closer to Christ and to the person we want to be. "By the Lord are the steps of a man rightly directed, and His way shall he greatly desire" (Psalm 36:23) Each task we accomplish, assignment we complete, service we pray, and moment we fully enjoy draws us nearer to Him who has given us all.