Knots in a Rope

Today’s reflection comes from a thought shared by someone I deeply admire and learn from.

They were talking about knots in a rope.

When you look at a knot, you don’t just yank on it and hope it comes loose. You study it. You turn it. You look at it from different angles. You ask yourself where it tightened, how it tightened, and what the best way is to loosen it without creating more tension.

He said our problems are like that.

Some knots show up in performance, sports, or work. Some show up in relationships. Some show up at home. Some show up quietly in our thoughts. But the approach stays the same. You analyze. You evaluate. You slow down. You look for the simplest way forward.

He compared it to reducing fractions in math. You don’t solve it all at once. You reduce it to its simplest form. One step at a time. One piece at a time.

He also used the image of those Russian nesting dolls. One inside another. You open one, then another, then another. Each layer reveals something deeper. That’s how real growth works. You don’t rush to the surface solution. You keep opening until you find the root.

That idea landed with me.

In our home, I ask myself questions like these. How can I be more supportive. How can I be more gentle and kind. How can I be more sincere and honest. How can I be more reverent, loving, and respectful.

But before any of that, awareness has to come first.

Where is the knot. Where has something tightened. Where have I stopped listening. Where am I reacting instead of responding.

Once I can see it, I can start working it loose. From different angles. With patience. With curiosity. With better questions.

This applies everywhere.

With Bella Love, whether she is on the bowling lanes, at home, or preparing for the next chapter of her life, I ask how I can support her growth without gripping too tightly. With Barbi, I ask how I can encourage, help, and serve in ways that actually matter, not just in ways that are convenient.

And spiritually, as a family, I ask how we can walk more closely with Jesus. How we can slow down enough to discern the next best step, not just for me, but for all of us.

Sometimes progress is not about fixing everything. It is about loosening one knot enough to breathe again. Then moving on to the next.