I’ve noticed that when I take the time to breathe, to really see the beauty before me, the evidence of His existence is everywhere.
With more margin and less hurry (though friends, let’s not kid ourselves – there are still days), I’m finding that not only do I see the precious I have so often missed but I am also hearing the wisdom He has tried to speak over deaf ears for so long.
There was simply too much noise on the inside. And sometimes there still is too much noise on the inside but you know, baby steps.
A friend of mine recently shared that he heard someone speak somewhere sometime to a group of believers about walking deeper with Jesus.
“How do we get closer to Jesus?” someone in the audience asked.
“There are two ways, ” the speaker answered. “The first is to eliminate hurry.”
“What’s the second?” the same participant asks.
“There isn’t a second,” the speaker replied.
Yes. Eliminate hurry. It’s that simple.
So I reflect on the hurry thing and realize that absolutely nothing good comes from hurry.
I snap at my children to hurry up. I tell them that no, we cannot take ONE SINGLE SECOND MORE to look at that lady bug because we are LATE for school for the third time this week and don’t you know that being on time trumps the wonder of His creation always?
What am I teaching them about God’s creation when I blow it off because I don’t want the administration to think I am “that” mom who just doesn’t have it together?
But the reality is I am that mom and truthfully, I’m pretty certain they figured that out back in September.
We are late almost always. It’s true that I have three people aged seven and under to get out the door by 7:30 each day before school but that doesn’t really matter at the end of the day.
We still hurry. And I’m grumpy because of it. And yes, it’s because I worry about what they will think.
So now that I’ve pulled out of everything and have no commitments anywhere outside of being a wife and a mom, I’m still late.
But I’m starting to see that if I just slow down a bit and pray for eyes to see the world the way He sees it, a funny thing happens.
I actually DO start to see things the way He sees it.
And since we are likely going to be late anyway, the extra 30 seconds to look at the ladybug could be exactly what might plant a seed in the mind of one or all of my children about how intricately He creates every creature that exists.
More confirmation that He is real.
Suddenly, the tardies don’t seem so bothersome anymore.
Today is Monday so I reflect on gratitudes from the past week. Thank you, Jesus, for:
711. Meeting fun new friends who follow you
712. A hot morning picking strawberries where kids complained but memories were made
713. Friends over to play and giggles from little girls
714. Roasting marshmallows over a new fire pit and gray ashes that cover the three year old’s white fluffiness because he’s learning how to hold the stick
715. “She turned into a yogurt, mama!” the same little boy says while watching Shrek. (She actually turned into an ogre.)
716. A family garden actually planted by, gasp, the family and a budding (no pun intended – sort of) interest in where our food comes from
717. A husband who busted a hump around this place this weekend because “Acts of Service” is his love language
718. Ghost stories around the campfire complete with scarily realistic (realistic?) Big Foot yelps.
719. Bickering siblings who break now and then to give kisses and high fives
720. Seven people who have joined “Team Snapp” this upcoming week and next as JJ and I prepare to go on our honeymoon. Yes. Our honeymoon. And yes, we’ve been married for almost eight years.
This week, may you seek margin. May you slow down. Breathe. Just stop. May you eliminate hurry.
And then you will hear.
Have I ever mentioned that I once said I would never allow my children to wear clothing with licensed characters?
Beautiful! As i hurried from one thing to the next this am, I thought this really is insane and I feel like I am the only woman on earth who hasn’t figured out that this schedule cannot continue with good things happening! Thank goodness for afternoon naps which make uS all stop, slow down and breathe. I have let a lot of my ‘extras’ go this year and fit them back in when I have had the quiet I need, or the family has needed. But as I look forward to the summer, I start to hyper ventilated over all the summer sports schedules….I think it is time for me to teach my kids to let go too! I will be more happy and they, ultimately, will be too! Thanks for the reminder today!
“But the reality is I am that mom and truthfully, I’m pretty certain they figured that out back in September.” Not sure why, but that line made me snort out loud. :) I so can relate to the whole “hurry” thing. I have tried to step away from a lot of things, but at the same time, things just appear out of no where. AND it seems like the little people in my house never listen to me, but they DEFINITELY don’t listen when I’m grumpy about being late and telling them to hurry, so I am working on having a cheerful heart to encourage us to be doing what we are supposed to be doing when… it seems to work better for everyone. Of course, the Zoloft and red wine helps too…..
Yes!! Thank you for the eloquent reminder. E will be glad to read it too. (Also, glad berry picking was a success!)
The past couple of years I have given my girls an intangible gift for Christmas. About 3 years ago, it was that I would stop yelling at them. I made poster for my bedroom with a lovely Mary Cassat painting of a mom holding two girls about the same ages as my princesses, with Proverbs 31:26 on it (She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.) It’s hard to speak wisdom or faithful instruction when one is yelling or chiding or berating. For 2010 Christmas, I asked them what they wanted, and they wanted us to hurry less. They wanted us to get out the door in a more sane manner, they wanted to take slower walks (not always concerned with the high calorie burn), they wanted more snuggle time. I’m still working on it, but it has made such a tremendous difference in our household. For Christmas 2011, they wanted more family play time, more card games, more board games, more hiking. It’s amazing how yelling less and hurrying less make it so much easier to have more family play time. Bless you for this reminder!
Love this! I left She speaks with this basic mantra: I have GOT TO slow down. You are so right, God is not in a hurry. How much am I missing by always trying to hurry and scurry off to the next thing.