What a crazy time we are living in, everything seemed to happen so fast. One moment I was asking “What is Coronavirus?” and reassuring my friends with such confidence that we have nothing to worry about. The next moment everything is shutting down before my eyes. No time to prepare or adjust. The change was demanded. Slowing down was mandatory.
I’m from a small town in Northern Indiana. Your cliche farmhouses and cornfields grip your view for miles. In the middle of our downtown area painted on the wall is “embrace the pace”. Even though I’m from a small town, my heart has always longed to live in a big city. Even as a kid I dreamed of one day moving to New York or Chicago, I loved the fast pace of the city. Slowing down is something I’ve always run from, I wanted no part of it.
I realized that my life had become a race. Always trying to prove to the people around me that I’m capable, that I’m worthy to be a contender. All the things that I once filled my life and social media with; coffee shops, car filled adventures, concerts, and sporting events have all been stripped away. Who I am, not what I do is all I have. The fast pace life I once lived has been brought to a sudden halt.
This scared me at first. To be completely honest it still does from time to time. But I’m beginning to find peace in slowing. It’s caused me to see what I have. What if there were no more trophies? No more things to gain. What if what I have is what I’m left with? Would I sit and regret my choices, wishing I would have done something different and obtain more? Or would I put my everything, all of my joy, and all of my thankfulness into the things that are before me?
See Jesus has blessed us so much. He said to His disciples “everything the Father has given Me I give to you.” What would it look like to press into that promise in this season? I’ve been so challenged to pour everything into what He has given me. I’ve found so much freedom in not needing more, not needing to be better, or prove to the world that I belong here. Slowing down is not easy for some people by any means. But when I slow down, strip away the striving, and stop trying to prove myself His voice can become so clear. The act of slowing down though sometimes fearful is not a bad thing, it’s an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to hear the voice of the Lord so clearly, put down striving and embrace all of the blessings we’ve been given from Jesus.