Blog #14 - One Step at a Time

The weather here in the Middle East has been excruciatingly hot and humid.

Today, during my break, I decided I would go for a walk. It seemed simple enough, but as I stepped outside, the heat wrapped itself around me, and the air felt heavy. At some point, I found myself struggling to breathe. The humidity was suffocating, and instinctively I wanted to increase my pace, to rush back indoors, to escape the discomfort.

But I couldn’t. My body wouldn’t allow it. Instead, I had to slow down, to steady myself, to regulate my breath. I took it one step at a time until eventually, I made it back inside.

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That moment reminded me of how life works.

So often, when faced with challenges, struggles, or unexpected setbacks, our natural response is to rush through them. We want to get to the other side as quickly as possible, avoiding the pain, discomfort, or vulnerability that comes with waiting.

But sometimes, rushing only makes things harder.

Sometimes, the only way forward is slowly, one step at a time.

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“The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong… but time and chance happen to them all.”

– Ecclesiastes 9:11

Life isn’t always about speed. It’s about endurance.

It’s about learning to pace ourselves, to breathe through the heaviness, and to trust that with every small step, we are moving closer to where we need to be.

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As I reflected on this, I thought about how many of us carry battles that no one else can see grief, stress, health struggles, doubts, disappointments. And yet, even in those hidden battles, God never asks us to run faster than we are able.

Instead, He reminds us that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

He whispers to us: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

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So today, I want to encourage you

if the heat of life feels suffocating,

if the pressure is too much,

if your steps feel small and slow,

that’s okay.

You don’t have to sprint.

You don’t have to perform for anyone’s expectations.

You just have to keep moving, one step at a time.

Because even the smallest steps forward still count as progress.

And even in the heaviness, God is walking beside you, matching your pace, ensuring you make it through.