Hurry up and slow down already

Hurry up and slow down already

“Yala, Yala!” I can hear a co-worker enticing us to transition into a meeting. 

“Pali-Pali!” I can hear a professor teaching us about Korean culture to get moving. 

“Let’s go!” I can hear myself calling out to my family from the garage just about any day. 

It’s human nature, right? Productive. Efficient. Multi-tasking. These attributes rank high as points of praise for employees, students, and kids alike. 

Slowing practices are new for me. There were about a dozen listed in The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook that I reference when wanting to try something new.  

None of them sounded like fun.

• Intentionally drive in the slow lane on the interstate. 
• Choose the longest line at the grocery store. 
• Start each meeting with 1 minute of silence. 
• Be the last to get up from any meal. 
• Speak more slowly.

And yet, have you ever pictured Jesus in a hurry? Imagine Jesus turning to his crew and saying, “Let’s go already!” Imagine Jesus crossing four lanes of traffic to get into the HOV at a sudden slow down. I have a hard time picturing that! 

I mean, our own productivity, of course.  

Our own distraction? I mean, our own multi-tasking ingenuity, of course. 

Three days this week, at the end of the day, I reflected back that my primary emotion that day was “unhurried.” Deep exhale. Amen. Now, that was during a week of study leave with less pressure, more notifications turned off, and without parenting responsibilities. Can I carry that feeling into this week? I sure hope so. 

Jesus extends the invitation to you to find that kind of life: “Come to me.” (Matthew 11:28) 

You took the time to read this blog, thank you. Please don’t rush to close it. Set a timer for 1 minute. Start a minute of quiet with a simple prayer, “Jesus, I’m coming to you…” May you find rest for your soul. 

-Pastor Megan