MY BLOGS

“The high value put upon every minute of time, the idea of hurry-hurry as the most important objective of living, is unquestionably the most dangerous enemy of joy.” Hermann Hesse, German-born Swiss poet, novelist, and painter.

My dear hubby always reminded me, “Slow down to a blur”. I never understood the meaning. Though, the picture of my life had always been busy and on the run. Everything and everyone around me needed to move fast or get out of my way. No patience, no time. Fast, faster and fastest until I crashed with chronic pain and disability. I couldn’t run anymore not physically or metaphorically.

It was a Thursday morning. I woke up with the “elephant sitting squarely on my chest”, blocking the regular airways through my lungs. I forced breaths in shallow puffs only to circulate between my nose and mouth. The pain in my upper body clamped me down as the earth around me was spinning out of control. It wasn’t fun.

How did I fall into the trap of hurried living again? Have I not noticed the warning signals? Well, I did. But I was in too much of a hurry to care. I waved off the warnings from family members. And ignored whisperings of the Holy Spirit through Scriptures in my devotion and prayer times.

It was a tough time for us as a family. Personal health challenges, a DIY refurbishing-a-condo project, moving to another city, car accidents, cancer diagnoses, and a wedding, were some of the issues we dealt with. As more life happened, I went into overdrive mode, the hurry-mode of operating for fifty plus years. How fast do we forget when we are healthy?

What does hurry look like?

My hurry manifested in impatience and an aggressive attitude during my morning commutes. My mid-morning-stress-release-walks rather mimicked a “run”. An accelerated heartrate increased my blood circulation and cleared out some toxins from my brain. Except, I didn’t feel refreshed after my morning breaks.

Neither did I slow down during my lunch breaks at work, on the contrary I stacked up chores. Nor in the evenings. After eight full-time working hours, I hurried home. Cooked dinner and cleaned-up. Then rushed to the computer to continue working on my own deadlines.

My supposed-to-be-slow-down-before-bed routine became a race against time. I dashed from my desk, scurried into the shower, and whizzed into bed at a speed that startled my hubby. How on earth could you be calm enough to drift off to sleep?

Sleepless nights followed and pain infiltrated my shoulders and neck.

My present were mostly overpowered by future concerns or guilt about the past for missed self-imposed deadlines. Kind to myself, was long forgotten. As was doing something I enjoyed. Tired, and frustrated my impatience grew with the ever-interrupting circumstances. My increasing busyness and impatience hurt my relationships. I felt stuck.

Does the above sounds familiar to you? Then it’s time to acknowledge that hurriedness is your sickness too.

Let’s then make a decision to let go of hurry.

How do we let go of hurry?

I have learned some lessons from Scripture on Jesus’s pace of life.

Jesus was never in a hurry. He walked slow enough to be interrupted. He had time to see, listen, and attend to others’ needs with compassion. He paused to engage with children; and to open the eyes of the blind and heal the lame and the sick.

Jesus took time to pray to his Father in heaven during early morning hours. (Mark1:35)

He hanged out with others over dinner−his disciples, and his friends, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

In Matthew 22:39 Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves. How can I love my neighbors if I don’t have compassion for myself?

In Matthew 6:34 Jesus says that we should not worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow brings its own troubles.

Let’s implement this ancient wisdom in our everyday lives. Let’s set our intention to make a change to our hurried lifestyle.

1. Cultivate mindfulness−pay attention to your emotions, thoughts, and experiences in the present moment. Awaken your mind to what is happening right here and now through your senses.

2. Let go of the past. Forgive. Bless.

3. Trust God for the future. Fussing about the future if futile and kills our joy.

4. Invest in self-care. Do at least one thing/day that you enjoy doing. Schedule ten minutes to engage in a healthy enjoyable activity e.g. walk in the garden, water your plants, play with your dog. Savor the moment.

5. Be kind to yourself. Pause. Breathe. Ignore the “drill Sergeant” in your head. Let go of other’s opinions Let Go of Perfect . Stop comparing. By taking care of yourself in the now, you build strength to withstand onslaughts in future.

6. Meditate and pray. Meditate on the truth before your day starts. Listen to the Holy Spirit’s whispers. Calibrate your heart. Set your intention to let go of hurry.

7. End your day with a daily journal reflecting on the goodness of God. List all the gifts from God. Stay in your attitude of gratitude as you wind down before bed.

The picture of an unhurried life is captured so beautifully Psalm 23. When the Lord is my shepherd and I trust in Him, I lack nothing. He leads me to green pastures and quiet waters; he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths. I will not fear any evil. He comforts me. He provides for me. He blesses me with love and goodness. Eventually I will live eternity with Him.

I love reading Psalm 23 when I need a reminder to slow down to the green pastures and quiet waters and refreshed soul.

Friends let’s be deliberate in cultivating an unhurried life and trust God for the rest.

Leave a comment. I would love to hear from you.

Until next time!

Anita Beukman

Your Hope Coach