Slow Down

It's no secret that we live in a world full of hustle and bustle and not much to show for it. Our days are full of errands: things we said yes to and want to do, things we said yes to though we don't want do, and things we simply just have to do. It's running to school and soccer practice and the grocery store and church and grabbing a bite with a friend and finishing that project due the next day, all in one day. We're told we can do it all, after all, so does everyone else. And you certainly can't slow down for fear of missing out on something that could possibly be really important. And what about letting someone else down who was really counting on you? Well you certainly couldn't do that! And after a while there's barely any difference between night and day because it's all go, go, go. But does it have to be this way?

I thought that it had to be this way, after all, I had so many friends who accomplished so much more than I would in a day. I was beginning to think I was just being dramatic about it all. Then I read a book called "Present Over Perfect" by Shauna Niequist. She let me know that this tiredness and resentment toward all I had to accomplish in each day wasn't something I had to just keep pushing through. It was time to slow down.

Here's the deal: busyness is just a distraction. It distracts you from the important things in life: your family, your peace, your relationship with God. All those things get pushed onto the back burner when you're busy. All of the sudden there's no time for family dinners and by the time you see your family, most of your patience has worn off. All of the sudden there's no time to relax and think, dream, be still; all that's left is anxiety and anxiousness. All of the sudden there's no time to read your bible before you go to bed and you tell yourself you'll do it tomorrow, then the next day, and then the next day. All of the sudden, you don't recognize your life.

So for the sake of my family, my peace and my relationship with God, I realized Shauna was right; it was time to slow down. Slowing down comes with sacrifices and making decisions. It comes with saying no to something maybe you wish you could help with but you know would just make your day too long. It's okay to say no. We all need time to recharge so we don't live our lives half awake. Social Club Misfits says it well when they sing, "If I ever lay down, let it be for some rest, and whenever I'm recharged, let it be at my best". God wants us to live life at our best and not just barely getting by our busy schedules. It's time to make a change as a society; it's time to slow down.