LEARNING TO SLOW DOWN by Vicki Taylor

We live in a fast paced society.  Everything moves fast - people, traffic, fast food drive-ins, quick check-outs at the grocery stores, and TIME. Have you begun to notice that life moves at a fast pace? I know in my own life there are days where I wonder where the time goes. One day you look at the calendar and its July 4, the next day we are celebrating the Holidays. It just goes that fast.

I don’t believe that God intended for us to hurry through life. I also believe that hurry leaves behind spiritually dry hearts. I know in my own life, if I hurry through my time alone with the Lord, by the end of my day I am frazzled and exhausted, wondering where God was all day. God’s Word says, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10). So let’s find out how we can step out of the fast lane and start to cruise in the God lane of life and begin to see the world that He has for us.

We can begin by being thankful. Yes, remember that word our mothers tried to teach us as little ones.  Say “thank you” when you receive something. As we look around God is always giving; we are always receiving, but are we thankful? 

In reading Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts, I have found I am not a thankful person (ouch). But I desire to be one.  And that’s where it begins.  I desire to slow down, appreciate life, give thanks, and see God. Psalm 81:10 says, “Open wide your mouth (life) and I will fill it.” I desire to be filled with Him!  I want to stop chasing after things or “stuff” as my husband says, and give my full attention to Him and allow Him to begin to fill those empty places in the holes of my soul. The soul holes I call them. I want them to be filled with thanksgiving, a thankfulness that can only come from Him. I want to see Him with the eyes of my soul. To experience Him with the inner eyes of my soul until those holes are no longer there, but filled with His presence and peace.

To get to that place, I have to slow down, slow the pace, step out of the race and stop. Stop and know God, spend time with Him. I don’t want to stand before Him on that day and have Him look at me and say, “You were too busy for Me.”  What about you?  Are you willing to join me? There’s plenty of time at the Cross for us all.