Hurry! Hurry!

It's been a quiet day at the ranch! My car had to go into the shop for bad brakes (definitely something you want working properly on your car), and since no one else (or their car) was at home, I couldn't go anywhere. At first I relished the thought of a full day cleaning up, catching up, going through old emails, having a real quiet time (when the house truly was quiet!), and writing in my blog after a busy week.

And it was wonderful doing all of the above and getting a lot accomplished. But one unexpected hitch: no internet! I tried and tried and could not get my computer to connect to the internet, so I couldn't get emails or check on some internet sites or write on this blog. It's amazing how cut off I felt from the world without a car or the internet! Ridiculous, I know, but it's true. With the car gone, the children gone, the computer gone, and the house blessedly still, life suddenly slowed down appreciably. At first, I felt antsy, but then it felt, well, peaceful and good. I didn't need to rush off anywhere; I didn't need to get to any doctor's appointments or run any errands--well, actually, there was plenty I could have been doing, but it could all wait until tomorrow.

Even though I was not burning up the grocery store or the roads in my car or typing away on my computer, the world seemed to continue to turn on it's axis! No one called to ask me how on earth the city of Raleigh could manage without me. Nothing collapsed. No catastrophes. Not one disaster. Somehow, someway, the world kept spinning and my family and loved ones avoided falling apart without my zooming around and busily doing, doing, doing all day long.

And I come to the near end of the day and find I don't feel quite so frantic or exhausted or irritable. Perhaps there is something to be said for occasionally slowing down our busy pace of life and taking the time to worship, to regroup, to sing, to listen, to laugh, to appreciate. I recently heard a well known Christian writer say that his best advice for a minister preparing to take on the responsibility of a large, busy church--"Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life." Boy, that sounds like pretty good--and radical--advice. I stay in the hurry mode. Get it all done. Stay busy. Multitask at all times.

But I've noticed that hurrying and rushing are enemies of depth and worship and holiness and relationship. I might be able to get a whale of a lot accomplished, but what is the state of my relationships with the people I love and the God that I serve? Can you hurry and be holy? Can you hurry and have peace? Can you hurry and be joyful?

Sometimes, maybe, but I think we all need to slow down a bit, take a deep breath and stop to really truly count our blessings. Pull off the fast lane and praise God for saving us. Take time to really hug someone we love or encourage someone who is struggling. Let that car into the lane in front of you, even if you have to slow down for a moment or two.

By the grace of God, might we all "ruthlessly eliminate hurry" from our lives and then experience anew all that He has in store for us. To Him be the glory!