Step, Step, Glide

That's what Angela Anaconda taught me. I remember when I first started learning how to ice skate. That was my mantra. 

In a rink full of little white kids racing around in circles past me over and over, there I was on the edge of the rink barely moving. 

Step, step, glide.

Only it didn't work. It wasn't until I fell on my ass more  times than I could count that I realized I needed more help than I thought. 

Thankfully, my skating buddies were experts! I held onto my friends for dear life as they pulled me across the ice until I learned how to skate on my own. 

Today was my first skate of the winter season. Dorothy in her COVID era would never believe that I'd wait this long to get on the ice. 

There's something magical about skating. I don't consider myself an athletic person, but skating makes me feel badass. Stability and gracefulness on what's normally considered a pretty dangerous surface. I feel like I have superpowers when I skate. 

My eyes started to well up with tears. It's been such a hard season so far. Life is so fragile but why are we so careless? If we're not careless, we're too careful. Too afraid to take risks or to step into uncomfortable situations.

Life is so fragile. Skating reminds me of that. One wrong step and I could fall. Each step I took on the ice was a step of faith. Faith that the surface up ahead would be smooth enough for me to skate over and faith that my legs would be strong enough to handle any unexpected bumps along the way. 

Glide.

A glide feels like letting go. All your weight is on one foot while your other foot gets a break until the one foot gets tired and you need to switch. 

Just one step at a time. One day at a time. We can't store up more for later. We just have to accept that what we have now is what we've been given to work with and that's okay.

I have heard my people complain. Now tell them that each evening they will have meat and each morning they will have more than enough bread. They will know that I am the Lord their God.

The next morning, after the dew had gone, the desert was covered with thin flakes that looked like frost. The people had never seen anything like this, and they started asking each other, “What is it?”

“This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. And he orders you to gather about two liters for each person in your family—that should be more than enough.”

They did as they were told. Some gathered more and some gathered less. Everyone had exactly what they needed, just the right amount.

Six days passed. “There won't be any of this food on the ground today. You will find it there for the first six days of the week, but not on the Sabbath.”

A few of the Israelites did go out to look for some, but there was none. 

How long will you people keep disobeying my laws and teachings? Remember that I was the one who gave you the Sabbath. That's why on the sixth day I provide enough bread for two days. Everyone is to stay home and rest on the Sabbath. 

And so they rested on the Sabbath.