“Starting from scratch, He made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, nor just grope around in the dark but actually find Him.” (Acts 17:25 MSG)
I dreamt of autumn last night: driving down a windy blacktop lined with entire groves of red maples. Bright red leaves were falling like flower petals, crunching beneath the car wheels. I wanted desperately to stop and revel in such beauty but I could not find the brakes. It seemed like everything I tried only propelled me faster.
My friend, Heather, recently wrote about how Jesus spent much of His ministry walking. Huge tracks of time in his relatively short public career were devoted to transportation. This seems intentional; He chose to come to earth in that precise era and geographical location. He could have come after more efficient travel was introduced; when he could have utilized trains and planes and automobiles. He could have carried an iPhone or at the very least a Palm Pilot to organize His ministry commitments. But He didn’t. He chose instead to allow for long pauses between places, creating space for reflection, relationship and redirection.
Today I have my own long pause and I am pretty excited about it. All the recent rearrangements in my life have left me a little rest-less. I think this next season – ‘rest’ being my appointed word for 2020 – is about slowing down and seeing Jesus in my story. Perhaps it’s about spending good chunks of every day walking in step with Him?
I want it. I want to slow down and soak Him in. I’m sick to death of groping about in the dark aimlessly, frantically. I want to actually find God in the midst of my days. Today, at least, I want to take the long walk, to walk enough hours of the day that my soul slows and I finally match the Master’s perfect pace.
“Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves, let’s take a break and get a little rest.” For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat.” (Mark 6:31 MSG)
We are only truly nourished and rested when we slow down to walk with Jesus. And it seems He isn’t looking for more hustle from us. He’s looking for uninterrupted opportunity to speak into our souls.
Lord, help me start today today low my soul and settle into Your perfect pace. Free me from the tyranny of hurry that thrives in our culture. Help me exchange efficiency for effectiveness, productivity for presence. I’m not good at this and I’m sure I’ll need reminding, but I want to learn from and live in You. Amen.
A link to my friend’s article…. https://heatherwweber.blogspot.com/2020/01/who-said-efficiency-was-next-to.html?m=1