St Therese famous text explaining her idea of 'elevator' to Heaven to replace 'the rough stairs of perfection' commonly used to climb there.
God cannot inspire unrealizable desires. I can, then, in spite of my littleness, aspire to holiness.
It is impossible for me to grow up, and so I must bear with myself such as I am with all my imperfections. But I want to seek out a means of going to heaven by a little way, a way that is very straight, very short, and totally new. We are living now in an age of inventions, and we no longer have to take the trouble of climbing stairs, for....an elevator has replaced these very successfully. I wanted to find an elevator which would raise me to Jesus, for I am too small to climb the rough stairway of perfection. I searched, then, in the Scripture for some sign of this elevator, the object of my desires, and I read these words coming from the mouth of Eternal Wisdom: "Whoever is a LITTLE ONE, let him come to me." And so I succeeded. I felt I had found what i was looking for...The elevator which must raise me to heaven is in Your arms, O Jesus! And for this I had no need to grow up, but rather I had to remain little and become this more and more. O, my GGod, You surpassed all my expectation. I want only to sing of Your Mercies. (St Therese: 'Story of a Soul' ICS 1976)
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