Slow me down,
Lord. Ease the pounding of my heart by
the quieting of my mind. Steady my
hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time. Give me, amid the confusion of the day, the
calmness of the everlasting hills. Break
the tensions of my nerves and muscles with the soothing music of the singing
streams that live in memory.
Help me to know the
magical, restoring power of sleep. Teach
me the art of taking minute vacations – of slowing down to look at a flower, to
chat with a friend, to pat a dog, to read a few lines from a good book.
Slow me down, Lord. Amen.
Did you like this prayer?
Or did this prayer cause a little snort of laughter? Does it seem naïve or ignorant or unrealistic?
Why?
We live in a fast paced world. We live in a world where the right to instant
gratification and high speed internet is more important than the right to life
or liberty.
This is the norm, unfortunately. Everybody is doing it. But just because everyone is doing it, doesn’t
make it right. I think we know deep down
in our hearts that something isn’t right about this way of life. But how can you change? How can you slow down? You feel guilty if you aren’t hustling around
busying yourself with the affairs of your life.
It’s expected.
I think this is why I started smoking. I wanted a legit excuse to take some deep
breaths, but I wasn’t allowed to do that unless I needed a smoke break. Don’t
worry, I’ve quit. I now take Centering
Breaks. These are breaks that I use to
get my focus back on the things that matter most to me…like, God, my husband,
my family, eternity…
The holidays can be a very busy time of year. The to-do-lists add additional stress to
already stressed-out people. Everyone
around you is going at turbo speed and it is contagious. You might not even realize that you put it
into overdrive. If you “NASCAR” people
as you are walking down the street, I am talking to you.
We have to constantly remind ourselves to slow down. There is so much we miss at top speed. And I promise you it is more peaceful and
enjoyable when you slow down. You are
allowed to slow down. You are allowed to
take some deep breaths. You are allowed
to sit and enjoy people watching at the mall.
And you are allowed to move at a pace that is comfortable for you, even
if it is 10 speeds lower than the populous.
Just try it. Don’t have the
time? Yeah, I’m talking to you too.
Are you worried about what people will think of you? Are you worried that they will judge
you? Guess what? Everyone else in the
world is only concerned about one thing – themselves. Their lives are too centered on “me” to care
about what anyone else is doing. And if
someone says something to you in a harsh judgmental way, it only says more
about them than it does about you. Trust
me, most people will actually be jealous of your peace and calm if you choose
to slow it down.
Cliché challenge of the day: Stop and smell the
roses.
Be okay to sit in silence.
Be okay to sit in contemplation.
Be okay with doing nothing. Even
if you can only spare a few moments, it will be good for your heart.
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