A well-known pastor, he was was once asked what was his most profound regret in life?
“Being in a hurry.” That is what he said.
“Getting to the next thing
without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage
I’ve ever gained from being in a hurry.”
“But a
thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all
the rushing.…Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns
out I was throwing it away.” Mark Buchanan
Being in a hurry puts us in the mindset of busy. And we glorify busy, for that matter we also glorify being in a hurry. Why do we do that? Why do we teach, most of the time unknowingly, that being in a hurry and therefore busy is good? Preferred even? Because if we slowed down long enough to quiet ourselves and our busy minds we would see with the eyes of our hearts that being in a hurry and busy is not preferred. It causes us to miss some of the most important moments of our lives. On a practical level I know that when I hurry through a task and get too busy trying to finish something I miss important details. So on all the levels of our lives we miss important things and moments when we elevate being in a hurry and busyness.
Let's all do something together, right now in this moment. BREATHE. Breathe in as deep as you can and let it go slow and long. Give your soul permission to not rush and not occupy the time with busyness. Give your life permission to breathe. Maybe I'm thinking about this so much because I'm in a season of forced busyness and it's finally done me in. I think I'm imploding. Actually I know I am. I see the light at the end of the tunnel but it's still too dim for my liking. I was driving today and reminding myself of how I can breathe, slow down, and rest in the midst of my forced busyness. Not an easy task when we live in a culture that sends the message that rushing and busyness is best.
I can't think of things I have gained by hurrying or being busy to distraction and exclusion but I sure can think of plenty I have lost through practicing those things. What about you?
Being in a hurry puts us in the mindset of busy. And we glorify busy, for that matter we also glorify being in a hurry. Why do we do that? Why do we teach, most of the time unknowingly, that being in a hurry and therefore busy is good? Preferred even? Because if we slowed down long enough to quiet ourselves and our busy minds we would see with the eyes of our hearts that being in a hurry and busy is not preferred. It causes us to miss some of the most important moments of our lives. On a practical level I know that when I hurry through a task and get too busy trying to finish something I miss important details. So on all the levels of our lives we miss important things and moments when we elevate being in a hurry and busyness.
Let's all do something together, right now in this moment. BREATHE. Breathe in as deep as you can and let it go slow and long. Give your soul permission to not rush and not occupy the time with busyness. Give your life permission to breathe. Maybe I'm thinking about this so much because I'm in a season of forced busyness and it's finally done me in. I think I'm imploding. Actually I know I am. I see the light at the end of the tunnel but it's still too dim for my liking. I was driving today and reminding myself of how I can breathe, slow down, and rest in the midst of my forced busyness. Not an easy task when we live in a culture that sends the message that rushing and busyness is best.
I can't think of things I have gained by hurrying or being busy to distraction and exclusion but I sure can think of plenty I have lost through practicing those things. What about you?
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