more from St. Theophan

I'm almost done reading St. Theophan's The Spiritual Life. In these final letters, his correspondent has chosen a life of virginity, and he is responding to her desire. In #74, he writes:

No, no. It is quite impossible to rush. When there is haste and zeal like this to hurry things along, it is not of God. Confused desires are well-meaning, but they are not good and do not lead to the good. Godly things move along slowly and imperceptibly, but steadfastly.

Pray and wait with patience, looking to see whether a door will open. The Lord will arrange things in such a way as you cannot guess.

Encouraging words for someone in my position. By this point he has already counseled her to wait for her parents' blessing. He goes on to explain how it is possible to live as a monastic in her home until the time is right to enter a monastery. I'm not sure exactly the same thing can be said about my situation, but I do need to be more trusting that God will bring things along in his own time.