My home church is going through a study on the book of John. It is the fourth book in the New Testament. Slick notebooks were created for our use which included scriptures with commentary and study questions at the end of each reading. Those of us participating were to read one of the studies for each day of the week with the exception of weekend.
I was so very proud of myself for keeping up at first, then “life” came along. I had company for a few days, I got “busy” with other things, oh so many other things.
This morning I sat down to work on the John study and realized I am several days behind. You see for some unknown reason, earlier in the month I actually wrote dates next to each chapter to keep myself on track. When I realized how many days I was behind I started to figure out how many chapters I would have to do each day to “catch up”.
Whoa!!! What the heck was I doing? What was I hurrying toward? The ability to tell myself, or more likely those poor souls around me, that I was on schedule, on time and right in line with the rest of my church? Let’s all say it together “MISGUIDED THINKING”! How had my focus become so singular? How did completing a task become the one and only goal, the one, and only purpose? How did I become so task driven? Please readers, tell me that I am not alone in this drive just to finish.
There is a prevailing force in our culture. The force of hurry, complete, go to the next thing and start over again. My grandpa used to say, or someone of great wisdom, “the hurrier I go the
Do we even taste the food as we shovel it in our mouths while attempting to accomplishing another task? Do we take in the beauty, the sparkles of fresh snow as we are moving it off the front step? Do we experience the cool air as we breathe
Yes, we are all busy. Whether you are a single mom balancing work, bills, and babies or an empty nester with a career and other irons on the fire like myself, we are all just plain busy bees. This busyness is partly the result of the culture we live. But, dear readers, be aware that it is also one of the many ways that the enemy of our souls steals our ability to experience true joy, peace, and growth. God, in his generosity, created us with senses to take in His beauty, His truth. He gave us the intricacy of the eye to catch every detail of baby’s smile. He gave us ability to take in all of Him, all of those around us and all that is called “beautiful” on this planet. In rushing, we are unable to fully utilize all of our senses, we dilute our tenderness to the moment.
When I rush through anything, I miss the pure joy of the experience. Am I reading a book just to get to the end of a chapter? Am I fully present during a conversation or am I planning a retort or maybe plotting the rest of my day? Am I just plodding through my week to get to the weekend or my day to earn the right to go back to bed? How often have I missed an opportunity to be taught, to bless a neighbor, express gratitude or let a kind word sink into my wounded heart, just because I was in a rush?
Psalms 48:10 reads “Be still, and know that I am God”. That tells this hurrier that our dear Lord knew that his children would have a problem with being”still”. He anticipated our enemy would press hard against us with so many tasks and activities that all the potential of each day would be rung out like a dirty rag and tossed aside.
I know I have written about time, rest and the value of the slow. But, you see, I am still learning, I am very much a work in progress. Another proof of the unimaginable love and grace of God is that He is willing to teach me again and again. There is no inpatient, exasperated tone in His voice that indicates, I am on my third strike with Him. For
I wish you peace,
Karen