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. 

Yet that internal barking coach has not done well by my soul.  

Hurry. Could it actually be our soul’s enemy? 

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! 

Then why do we not only tolerate but CELEBRATE our own hurry?

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. 

God has called us to life with him, a life where “his yoke is easy and his burden is light.”  

Matthew 11:30

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