Refuse To Rush

After weeks–maybe months–of being non-stop on-the-go, weariness of the rush has caught up to me.

rush ::  scramble, hurry, sprint, hustle, accelerate, step on the gas

Please don’t get me wrong here. I’m not complaining. Life has been what we’ve made it over the last few months. It’s been a great adventure! God has blessed us beyond what we deserve. And it’s been nothing short of incredible.

I look over my shoulder, and reflect on beautifully, refreshing moments I’ve shared with the people I love. I’m blessed and thankful and privileged to experience such memory-making times.

I wouldn’t have traded them for anything.

Even with walking through beautiful times as these, I’m finding our hearts can still get weary of the rush.

I’m finding we still need “down time.”

Time to just “be.” To relax. To refresh. To refill.

Time to breathe deep. To rest. To close our eyes.

Time to slow our pace. To hit the pause button. To take a step back.

Time to be okay with sitting still. To allow oneself to forget the to-do list. To let things wait until tomorrow.

To refuse to rush.

Sure, I’m well aware we all have those times in our lives where rushing is unavoidable. Deadlines. Commitments. Responsibilities. Last-minute mishaps. Emergencies. Waking up late.

Rush, for the most part, is just a part of our lives.

But what if just for today, or tonight, or tomorrow, or this week, we refused to rush?

What if we intentionally slowed our pace, slowed our breathing, slowed our driving?

What if we chose to not rush through breakfast, lunch and/or dinner?

What if we stopped to smell the roses, or paused to watch the sun set over the horizon?

What if we listened to those talking to us? Really listened by not being in such a hurry?

Could we do it?

For those of us who are accustomed to rush, it may take some work. It could take more effort than rushing does. But I believe we each can do it, and I believe it would be healthy for us to do so.

Doesn’t our society today thrive on rushing?? Faster cars. Faster check-out lanes. Instant meals. Quick fixes. Increased speed limits. Goodness, we even have a few hours in our day named after it.

You know, I can’t find anywhere in the Bible when Jesus rushed, or when He was in a hurry. If Jesus, the Savior of the world, didn’t need to be in a hurry, I certainly don’t need to be either.

My intention this week is to refuse to rush.

And I invite you to join me.

I began Sunday night, and plan to continue for an entire week. I’ll let you know how I do as I intentionally slow my pace, my breathing, my life down. It’s not easy for me, and I’m fighting my natural tendencies to rush, but I’m going to remain intentional in doing so. I look forward to what God is going to teach me through this experience.

Getting excited about something without knowledge isn’t good. It’s even worse to be in a hurry and miss the way. Proverbs 19:2

Refuse to rush, my friend. It’s okay to not be in a hurry.

It’s a joy to journey alongside of you today!

Julie

Linking up with two beautiful friends and their spaces today: Kelly for #RaRaLinkup and Holly for #TestimonyTuesday.