LITTLE BY LITTLE, NEARER TO GOD

> LITTLE BY LITTLE, NEARER TO GOD

Not in the sudden blaze,

not in the rush of heights—

but in the quiet keeping

of one small step

after another.

Little by little,

the soul turns.

Not all at once—

for we are not made

for instant becoming—

but for patient forming,

for slow awakenings

that root deeper

than momentary fire.

A word remembered.

A prayer whispered.

A choice unseen.

A kindness given

when no one records it.

This is the path.

Grain by grain,

like bread gathered at dawn,

like light stretching

across the edge of night—

so the heart moves

toward God.

We wanted transformation

like thunder—

but He gives it

like rain.

Steady.

Persistent.

Falling where it is needed

until the ground

cannot remain the same.

Little by little,

the noise fades.

Little by little,

the grip loosens.

Little by little,

the eyes begin to see.

What once pulled us away

loses its voice.

What once seemed distant

draws near.

Not because we climbed high,

but because we remained—

through weakness,

through waiting,

through the ordinary

faithfulness of days.

And one day,

without knowing when it happened,

we look back—

and the distance

has become nearness.

The scattered

has become centered.

The restless

has learned to rest.

This is the mystery:

God is not reached

by leaps of greatness,

but by the humility

of staying.

Little by little—

nearer than yesterday,

closer than we feel,

held more than we know.

Until even the smallest step

becomes sacred,

and every quiet movement

of the heart

is already

homeward.  

Steven G. Lee 

April 28, 2026