Prosper by Degrees

There's a phrase in scripture that has repeated in my mind for years.

After a long and bloody war, the people of Limhi found themselves completely crushed. Defeated, enslaved, and having exhausted every conceivable alternative, they begged for a miracle.

But no miracle arrived.

No heavenly wand was waved, snatching them instantaneously from the mess they had gotten themselves into. 

Instead, Mosiah wrote that in the years to come “they began to prosper by degrees.” 

Prosper by degrees.

Proceed, repair, rebuild. one. degree. at. a. time.  

The prayers of the people of Limhi probably sounded a lot like ours, hoping for immediate solutions to complicated problems. 

But what they were given instead was the next step, and then the next, and then the one after that. 

I have a friend whose business failed, resulting in overwhelming debt. The answer, it turned out, wasn’t a windfall. It was one paycheck at a time. A dollar here, a dollar there, until eventually the debt was repaid and they became successful in another endeavor. They prospered by degrees. 

Homes are cleaned one dish at a time. Health goals are achieved one vegetable at a time. Strong relationships are built one selfless act at a time. 

We don't expect children to take their first step one day and walk into college the next, but often deny ourselves the same patience.

When the gap between where you are and where you want to be is overwhelming, shift your focus from the distance ahead to the next degree adjacent.