The Cost of Hurry

"Being in a hurry. 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 that I was throwing it away." Mark Buchanan

This quote is so convicting. With 3 little ones, I feel like I'm constantly saying, "hurry up...walk faster...let's go". Time is the one thing we all have the same amount of. It can't be bought or stored up. But it can be wasted. And who would of thought that the quickest way to waste time would be to rush through life? Each moment in our life is a gift. Each breath. And while we can't make more hours in the day, we can slow time.

"And this is the way to slow time: When I fully enter time's swift current, enter into the current moment with the weight of all my attention, I slow the torrent with the weight of me all here. I can slow the torrent by being all here. I only live the full life when I live fully in the moment."     One Thousands Gifts, pg. 68

And one way that has changed me from a rushing fool to a slower of time is by counting His gifts. When I give each moment my full attention and look for God's next blessing, I am able to slow time. The way to slow time is to slow down. Something that is not the American way. There is the constant pressure that says the more I am doing the more successful I will be. And this isn't just in the corporate world, this belief is rampant in the church...especially for women. Just because I stay at home with my children, it feels like I'm not doing enough unless I'm involved in Bible study, mom's groups, volunteering in the children's program, being the room mother, and so much more. All of these opportunities are good, some very good. And they are all so hard to say no to. Last year I said yes to all of them....and I learned first hand how all the hurry and rushing can only lead to broken and missed moments. This year I promised myself to look at each commitment through the only guide we have been given to get through this life. This is what I found.

"We are merely moving shadows, and all of our busy rushing ends in nothing." Psalm 39:6 (NLT)

I had to make some hard decisions and say no to some great opportunities, but it has been worth it. I've realized how being at home during the day gives me so much more time to manage this wonderful household that God has blessed me with. And when the time I have is not spent rushing, it is invested more fully into what I have made priorities. It brings to mind the saying, 'It is better to do a few things well than many things poorly'.

So as I continue to learn the art of slowing time, I continue to count His gifts and give Him thanks. And as I do this I feel the pressure of the world lessen.

Gifts 174-192

windows open

flowers in bloom

strawberries, blueberries and pineapple

all three snuggled up on the couch

sucess for the oldest

God paving the way

knowing that He is preparing my heart

sanctification

wisdom from friends

homemade headlights

sisters sleeping together

youngest air guitaring

her sweet kisses

chore chart sucess

running water

trash mountain project & kids with a hope

quiet mornings

the priveledge of being called Mama

that my children have never known true hunger and the ablility to pass that blessing on to two other precious children