As we read St. John Climacus, we begin to see discernment as rooted in our relationship with God; a relationship that is founded upon the revelation of God‘s love and the desire that it stirs within the human heart to respond in kind. If we love God, then it is not going to seem to be a burden to us to take every thought captive and bring it before God for his blessing or judgment. Nor is waiting upon the Lord going to be a point of frustration. 
Rather, when we love God, we understand that he is going to desire what is best for us. This desire leads him to test our intentions so as to purify them. What God looks for is humility and a spirit of repentance. Faced with our own weakness, and the darkness that sin brings into our life and into the world, we must cling to God and allow him to guide us with his light.  Often only one step ahead is illuminated for us. We must be at peace with this if we have faith in him and trust in his love. 
Part of what this requires from us is an honest heart; one that avoids distractions and holds fast to innocence. Often our sensibilities can become hardened through our experience of the world, and we lose the capacity not only to be vulnerable to others but to God himself. It has been said that “haste destroys the poet and the saint”.  In the face of the frenetic pace of the world, let us hold on to simplicity and silence in order that we might hear the Beloved when he speaks to us.

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Text of chat during the group:
 
00:08:06 FrDavid Abernethy: page 206 number 114
 
00:16:33 Susanna Joy: It can be years and years...
 
00:16:56 Susanna Joy: ...one must have the patience of Job.
 
00:27:28 Susanna Joy: I have a friend who says, "Set all your thoughts, words, and actions as flowers at the feet of the Lord."  Then whatever the result, the intention is right.
 
00:28:10 Paul G.: Reacted to "I have a friend who …" with ❤️
 
00:30:37 Rebecca Thérèse: Therese thought of herself as a plaything of the infant Jesus so sometimes he would discard her in order to play with something else.
 
00:32:09 Genesius B.: Would it be imprudent to treat everything as beyond us, or perhaps prudent so we might never overreach?
 
00:33:35 Susanna Joy: Replying to "Would it be impruden..." 
 
 There is the riddle ...
 
00:34:50 Susanna Joy: Replying to "Would it be impruden..." 
 
 ...we must do our be...
 
00:42:31 sharonfisher: But how do we deal with the ‘warped souls’ in life as we encounter them and recognize them as too familiar to our circumstances? It seems scary.
 
00:43:00 Kate : Father, Could you offer any guidance on finding the balance between overreaching in the spiritual life versus not pushing oneself enough?  I find it very hard to get the right balance.  It is a long, hard struggle.
 
00:46:23 Anthony: 1. Thanks for explaining the unforgivable sin. 
2. No need to fall I to scrupulousity over this sin because concern about it indicates one has not confused good and evil.
3. I like a sentiment by St Paisios you shared on Facebook about keeping a calm soul so the devils can't cast their lines in our soul.
 
00:51:18 Susanna Joy: Replying to "1. Thanks for explai..." 
 
 That is such a great...
 
00:52:20 Susanna Joy: Replying to "1. Thanks for explai..." 
 
 Fish are tempted to ...
 
00:52:30 Susanna Joy: Reacted to 1. Thanks for explai... with "❤️"
 
00:53:10 Carolus B: Replying to "1. Thanks for explai..."
 
Should we avoid holding personal goals, instead endeavoring to only hold the single goal which is the desire of God, regardless of how we feel about the outcome?
 
00:53:52 Anthony: Hahaha. Yes he might
 
00:54:07 Paul G.: Reacted to "Hahaha. Yes he might" with ?
 
00:54:16 sharonfisher: This is an aside that you may or may not want to read re: what we deign to touch or interact with. I was crossing, on foot, an intersection to the metro station and my luggage got all sideways. This homeless-type fellow ran out and collected my stuff for me and handed it to me on the other side. I gathered a few