Slow Down
Our road isn’t a bustling thoroughfare. There is a posted speed limit of 25 MPH, but rarely is that followed (unfortunately, even by me). We live at one end where it slopes, and often cars turn off the busier connecting road toward the end of our driveway at speeds that make my heart race when the kids are playing out front. A few years ago, I bought these two plastic figures to place at the end of our driveway when the kids are riding bikes and scooters. I hope they will get each driver’s attention and kindly remind them to slow down so we can walk and ride safely on our road.
Slowing down isn’t just for driving to avoid an accident or speeding ticket. It’s a lesson for life. We are busy with activities from one end of the spectrum to the other: work, sports, household chores and improvements, volunteering, taking care of others, and the list goes on. Endless activity creates stress and often pushes out the things that really matter.
The past few weeks have been filled with what feels like endless activity for me. It started with getting ready for our first camping trip of the season and organizing a career day at school. It continued with various appointments, sports, and a garage sale. That’s not to mention the day-to-day of dishes, laundry, dinner, and everything else that comes with having a family.
Not only was I exhausted, but stressed to the max. I was feeling it in my body, mind, and relationships. I started seeing the warning signs in myself and my family that I was overcommitted. But I didn’t realize the impact until I was in too deep and couldn’t back out of anything without disappointing others.
Give Yourself Margin
Growing up, I knew that a margin was the space around the outside of a paper…the part to be kept blank. In our lives, we must create that margin around all our activities and appointments. Rather than scheduling our time packed full of activities and items to check off a list, we must keep some of our time blank. This margin could be as little as just sitting down for dinner as a family or building in an extra 30 minutes between appointments. It’s a matter of slowing down the pace of life from day to day.
We should also have larger blocks of time so every day is not filled. This could be as much as a vacation or as small as a relaxing day at a local park. But we need days that allow us extended downtime.
Personally, we schedule time off through short trips and camping. And I am learning to say no, so I don’t have to cram as much into one day as humanly possible. Creating margin in our lives can help us take time to focus on our relationships and ourselves, thus improving our mental health, relationships, and spiritual life.
Slowing Down For Relationships and Ourselves
By cutting down on the busyness of life, we will have more time for the relationships that are important to us. We have time to spend one-on-one with our spouses, children, parents, or friends. We can enjoy their company and give them our full attention without being distracted by thoughts of how much we need to accomplish. Can you imagine the relationship healing and strengthening that can take place if we just take time for the people who are most important to us?
Jesus took time to be present with others, often during a meal. He reclined at a table with His new tax collector friends (Matthew 9:10), when Mary anointed Him with oil (John 12:1-3), and during the Last Supper (John 13). These examples give us the image of a laid-back meal conversing with friends. Jesus wasn’t in a rush. He slowed down for those who were important to Him.
For ourselves, slowing down can help us to be focused and calm. You may need a bath, a quiet walk, or a whole day to yourself to recharge. Jesus instructed his disciples to do just this after they had returned from a ministry mission. He told them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest (Mark 6:31).” And Jesus took time to rest himself, too. Mark 4:38 tells us that He was napping during a storm on the sea. And “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (Luke 5:16).”
Slowing Down For God
The most powerful benefit of slowing down is it allows us time to strengthen our relationship with God. Like our human relationships, taking unhurried time to sit with Him will open us to His will and ways. “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need (Matthew 6:33 NLT).”
When we add margin to our lives through prayer, we open the door to allow Jesus to speak into our circumstances. He can reveal details that enable us to see situations from His perspective. He will bring comfort, peace, and thankfulness when we let Him. Jesus promises in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
In the slow pace and the empty space is when we hear from God, not so much in the busyness of our days. In these times of hurry, we tend to forget about God, even blocking out anything He tries to tell us. In Jeremiah 2:25, God was trying to tell the Israelites to stop running after foreign deities because His people were addicted to them. The Message translation of this verse seems fitting for today’s culture, “Slow down. Take a deep breath. What’s the hurry? Why wear yourself out? Just what are you after anyway? But you say, ‘I can’t help it. I’m addicted to alien gods. I can’t quit.’”
Maybe our alien god is our work, activities, or just busyness itself. We rationalize it because we want our children to have a good life; we want to serve the church or volunteer for a social cause. But in the meantime, we take our focus off the one true God as the hurry becomes our god.
An Unhurried Life
Jesus never seemed to be in a hurry. He took time for himself even when other people needed Him. He spent time with His friends, both teaching and enjoying each other’s company. And He made time with The Father through prayer and reflection.
Like our green plastic friends, we all get numerous reminders to slow down, but how often do we heed those warnings?
Instead of waiting for the signs, let’s leave some margin in our lives from the beginning. Use Jesus’ example of an unhurried life and be healthier mentally, relationally, and spiritually.
It’s time to slow down.
Jenny
Child of God, wife, parent, grandparent, teacher, and messenger. My life is messy, non-traditional, and imperfect, but I strive to be right where Jesus wants me. I love reading, traveling, and all things green!
One Comment
Beth Boozer
Love this article, Jenny!