I do agree with Gerondissa Makrina that in the beginning everything seems to be hard. We can recall how babies learn to make their first steps. Initially, it is impossible for them but they do their best trying to keep balance. They fall numerous times but making mistakes is vital for mastering the skill. In spite of their failures babies continue making efforts, they don’t fall into despondency or disappointment, they don’t lament their fate but rather continue repeating the same actions patiently even if they don’t achieve any evident results immediately.
In Gospel it is said that we should follow children’s example in spiritual matters. For “…the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force” (Mth. 11:12) («Царство Небесное силою берется, и употребляющие усилие восхищают его» (Мф. 11:12)). Indeed, in spiritual life we are like kids, we are only at the beginning of a long path to deification and to sanctity. And if we want to succeed, we should labour. For though God is merciful, though He is always ready to turn to us, we should also make a step towards the Lord because Salvation is synergy.
That’s why, following the words of Gerondissa Makrina, we should labour in order to find Christ though it may seem fiendishly diffucult at first.
