Stepping Stones

Each morning, while making toast, I brush all the crumbs off the counter, but I know they'll soon reappear. The first sip of tea tastes so good, that I drink more. It's good, too, but not as good as the first sip. After eating breakfast, I rearrange my book and the other things that lay on the table, so they're straight, but I know they won't stay that way.

In these very small ways I create islands of order and peace in my day. I think of them as stepping stones, places to set my foot securely for a moment as I am propelled though a day of deadlines, lists, bumping against the needs of other people.

Maybe this is what Jesus meant when he said, "Peace, be still" in the middle of that storm on the Sea of Gallilee. Our lives will never be as peaceful as we think we want them to be --- if they were, I suspect we'd be bored. It's enough to be aware that we can pause for an instant on a stepping stone.