You desire that which exceeds my humble powers, but I trust in the compassion and mercy of the All-powerful God.
Interpretation
The quote reflects reliance on divine compassion when one's own abilities fall short.
Saint Stephen expresses a sense of humility regarding his own limitations in fulfilling the desires of others. Despite feeling inadequate, he places his trust in the compassion and mercy of God, suggesting that when human efforts are insufficient, faith in a higher power can provide hope and support.
In practice
In a speech about overcoming challenges, someone might say this quote to emphasize reliance on faith.
Take a look at your own heart, and you will soon find out what has stuck to it and where your treasure is. It is easy to determine whether hearing the Word of God, living according to it, and achieving such a life gives you as much enjoyment and calls forth as much diligence from you as does accumulating and saving money and property.
The past will not tell us what we ought to do, but... what we ought to avoid.
A man watches his pear-tree day after day, impatient for the ripening of the fruit. Let him attempt to force the process, and he may spoil both fruit and tree. But let him patiently wait, and the ripe pear at length falls into his lap.
Hear this or not, as you will. Learn it now, or later -- the world has time. Routine, repetition, tedium, monotony, ephemeracy, inconsequence, abstraction, disorder, boredom, angst, ennui -- these are the true hero's enemies, and make no mistake, they are fearsome indeed. For they are real.
Any fool can turn a blind eye but who knows what the ostrich sees in the sand.
People are at their most mindful when they are at play. If we find ways of enjoying our work blurring the lines between work and play the gains will be greater.
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