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Slow Down!!
I remember well my mother telling me frequently as an active
young boy to “slow down.”I was
quite convinced that slowing down was a type of punishment and a ploy to hamper
my idea of fun.Now a few years
later, I am starting to better understand her words of wisdom.Slowing down is not necessarily a bad thing;
it is just hard to do for most of us.The pace of life generated by contemporary culture has certainly not
moved us in that direction.As a matter
of fact, we do not dare slow down because we are fearful we will be left out, left
behind, or miss something critical that could bring us success.
Recently our pastor quoted from a book entitled In Praise
of Slowness.I ordered the
book and of course I am now trying to find the time to read it.Ironic isn’t it?My mother’s advice is still right on
target.
In a very unfortunate way, the present economic environment
has brought us as a society and as individuals to a slower pace as the need to
prioritize and choose what we can and should be doing becomes more important
and necessary, maybe this could be a little silver lining in a very dark
cloud.we are told by tourism
experts that people are staying closer to home this summer and enjoying
activities that are less costly and more family friendly.Not a bad thing.
Summer is frequently a time when we see how many activities
we can interject into our already busy lives.We tend to want to add more action in the summer rather than
replace some activities for a season.However, for this summer I would encourage teachers, students, parents,
and even grandparents to see how much you can take out of your lives and not
how much more you can put in.After all, one of the purposes of a summer break for a school is to
provide a time to rest and restore our bodies, minds, and spirit.Slow down…listen more…walk more…just
sit still more…and enjoy the awesome creation that we have been given by
God.We have been given the gift
of a beautiful place to live and work in this corner of God’s world but have we
taken the time recently to appreciate and acknowledge that gift?To squeeze in a few more activities and
events might not be the best way to really recognize and enjoy God’s gifts to
us.
A common question at this time of year is, “Do you have any
plans for this summer?”How about
if we have the courage to answer, “I am going to slow down and really enjoy
what I have already been given by God,” rather than immediately coming up with
a list of trips and events to be part of and work we hope to finish.These are all good things, but maybe we
should reduce that list by one or two activities and not feel guilty about
that. Who knows how much that might change our lives?
Slow down.God
knew from the beginning of time that we as humans, made in His image, need a
Sabbath.We need cycles of rest,
weekly or annually, but it seems we have not paid enough attention to
preserving that gift.We are too
busy trying to get ahead or catching up or doing as many things as possible in
the time allotted.Remember that
Christ said there is really only one important thing we need to be doing: Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your strength.We have made it a whole lot more complicated than that.So let’s slow down and get back to the
basics.
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I remember well my mother telling me frequently as an active
young boy to “slow down.”I was
quite convinced that slowing down was a type of punishment and a ploy to hamper
my idea of fun.Now a few years
later, I am starting to better understand her words of wisdom.Slowing down is not necessarily a bad thing;
it is just hard to do for most of us.The pace of life generated by contemporary culture has certainly not
moved us in that direction.As a matter
of fact, we do not dare slow down because we are fearful we will be left out, left
behind, or miss something critical that could bring us success.
Recently our pastor quoted from a book entitled In Praise
of Slowness.I ordered the
book and of course I am now trying to find the time to read it.Ironic isn’t it?My mother’s advice is still right on
target.
In a very unfortunate way, the present economic environment
has brought us as a society and as individuals to a slower pace as the need to
prioritize and choose what we can and should be doing becomes more important
and necessary, maybe this could be a little silver lining in a very dark
cloud.we are told by tourism
experts that people are staying closer to home this summer and enjoying
activities that are less costly and more family friendly.Not a bad thing.
Summer is frequently a time when we see how many activities
we can interject into our already busy lives.We tend to want to add more action in the summer rather than
replace some activities for a season.However, for this summer I would encourage teachers, students, parents,
and even grandparents to see how much you can take out of your lives and not
how much more you can put in.After all, one of the purposes of a summer break for a school is to
provide a time to rest and restore our bodies, minds, and spirit.Slow down…listen more…walk more…just
sit still more…and enjoy the awesome creation that we have been given by
God.We have been given the gift
of a beautiful place to live and work in this corner of God’s world but have we
taken the time recently to appreciate and acknowledge that gift?To squeeze in a few more activities and
events might not be the best way to really recognize and enjoy God’s gifts to
us.
A common question at this time of year is, “Do you have any
plans for this summer?”How about
if we have the courage to answer, “I am going to slow down and really enjoy
what I have already been given by God,” rather than immediately coming up with
a list of trips and events to be part of and work we hope to finish.These are all good things, but maybe we
should reduce that list by one or two activities and not feel guilty about
that. Who knows how much that might change our lives?
Slow down.God
knew from the beginning of time that we as humans, made in His image, need a
Sabbath.We need cycles of rest,
weekly or annually, but it seems we have not paid enough attention to
preserving that gift.We are too
busy trying to get ahead or catching up or doing as many things as possible in
the time allotted.Remember that
Christ said there is really only one important thing we need to be doing: Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your strength.We have made it a whole lot more complicated than that.So let’s slow down and get back to the
basics.