A friend put this poem on a group chat. It may be written by Elizabeth Elliot, but I am not entirely sure.
BUT,
I DO know someone who said something very similar…
Do the Next Thing.
From an old English parsonage down by the sea
There came in the twilight a message to me;
Its quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,
Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.
And on through the doors the quiet words ring
Like a low inspiration: “Do the Next Thing.”
Many a questioning, many a fear,
Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,
Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,
Trust them with Jesus, Do the Next thing.
Do it immediately, do it with prayer;
Do it reliantly, casting all care;
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand
Who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on Omnipotence, safe ‘neath His wing,
Leave all results, Do the Next Thing.
Looking for Jesus, ever serener,
Working or suffering, be they demeanor;
In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
The light of His countenance be thy psalm,
Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.
Then, as He beckons thee, Do the Next Thing.
This is a nice expansion on what Charlotte Mason said in Volume 1. In part 3 Ch 7 she discusses the concept of doing the next thing in relation to habit training. She expands on the idea of doing the next thing so as to not squander time. Her focus is to cure the habit of wasting time by simply training ourselves to ‘do the next thing. Charlotte also has a poem of sorts at the beginning of her chapter:
“Do ye next thinge.”
“Lose this day loitering, and ’twill be the same story
To-morrow; and the next, more dilatory:
The indecision brings its own delays,
And days are lost, lamenting o’er lost days,”
Following this idea in Ch 7, she gives excellent advice on how to break a bad habit and replace it with a positive habit.
Read Volume 1, Part 3, Chapter 7 here.