Not In a Hurry
I place the newly framed drawing on my dresser in the bedroom, staring at those four words, letting their rebellious declaration sink into my soul. Because in a culture that places productivity, busyness, and achievement up there somewhere next to a person’s worth and identity, not being in a hurry sounds ludicrous.
How rebellious it is to slow down and pause in a world full of people striving to keep up. But how dangerous it is not to stop, to breathe, to let the moment ground you, to let the gifts around you slip on by because you’re too busy filling each moment with the hurrying and the worrying, and when you stop long enough to think about it, it all sounds just downright exhausting.
My chest tightens, because I know this has been my reality lately. One of hurrying, of stressing, of wondering if His grace really is enough.
But maybe, just maybe, we weren’t created to be in a hurry. Maybe the slowness opens the door to grace upon grace. Maybe the busyness just masks what’s underneath the skin, the hurts that live right at the center of the soul aching for healing and wholeness.
Hurrying, busyness; they just cover what needs to breathe, what needs to be restored. They fill us temporarily and then leave us empty so that when we finally do slow down long enough to look down we forget.
We forget that it’s not the keeping up, the achievement, or the productivity levels that give us our breath and belovedness. And we train ourselves to reach for more when really the only thing that can give us what we crave is staring us in the face.
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NLT)
The voice of Love speaks His invitation gently, without condemnation, and beckons us to come close.
“Come to Me,” He whispers, His voice laced with Love and Light.
He’s always the answer, the ultimate Filler. And we can’t answer the call if we don’t hear it, and we never hear it when we’re living life at the crazy pace of this worn-out and weary world.
Hurry kills a soul, keeping up is an illusion, and productivity levels don’t define who we are. Because the truth is, there is nothing we can do to add to the Love that God has already placed on us and in us.
Love is Who He is, and when Love looks at you and calls you His, there’s nothing that can ever undo that truth. Not even you.
Because of this, we don’t have to hurry or rush or worry. We can pause, breathe in the moment — breathe in grace — and walk at our Savior’s pace. We can be gentle with ourselves, patient even, and kind. We can receive the Love waiting for us in the slow, silent corners of our life.
And we can let those corners expand to become the whole of our life until slow and still is the undercurrent of every moment. Until every moment is overflowing with the presence of Peace because we now understand that those pockets of pause in an ordinary day are holy, sacred ground.
Let the rush of this world fall to the wayside.
Let yourself know what it feels like to live not in a hurry.
To live like God is present with you, to you, even here, right where your feet are.
Peace be with you,
Celia
A Breath Prayer for Your Weekend
breathe in:
In God alone.
breathe out:
My soul finds rest. (Psalm 62:1)
*if you’d like to learn more about the practice of breath prayer, check out this blog post I wrote titled, How to Use Breath Prayer.
Join the Sacred Spaces Community
Are you longing to be more attentive to God’s presence in your everyday life?
Do you have the desire to know God’s love and grow in deeper communion with Him?
Are you sensing the Spirit’s invitation to grow spiritually but don’t know where to begin?
Do you feel tired, worn out, or burnt out on religion?
Are you craving rest, refreshment of soul, and perhaps a different way of being with God?
In the Sacred Spaces community, we’re going to journey deeper into the heart of God together, putting our ears to His chest as we gently trod toward Homebase, by exploring different Christian contemplative practices that are designed to open our hearts to the Spirit’s leading and loving voice in our souls and lives. By subscribing to Sacred Spaces for just $5 a month, you’ll gain immediate access to:
monthly emails that will be sent out on the 1st of every month containing that month’s spiritual practice, action steps, and tools, outside additional resources, and weekly reflection questions
Soul Care Sessions, where you can book a 30-minute one-on-one Zoom call with me to talk about that month's spiritual practice, what the Lord is revealing to you, or what you're wrestling with. It's an invitation to come as you are as the Holy Spirit leads our time together and cares for your soul
a community chat in the Substack app where you can engage with other community members and me about that month’s email or whatever else may be stirring within you
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Resources & Good Things to Pick Up
This song that I found on Spotify helped me slow down this week. Try closing your eyes and letting the words wash over you, knowing you are in the presence of Love: Be Still & Know by Sam Wilson
I really enjoyed this article by Jenny Donnelly over on Ann Voskamp’s blog on the topic of being in a hurry: The Search for Rest in a Hurry-Up World
Here are some great books that I recommend on the topic of rest and slow living:
My friend and licensed spiritual director, Kari Bartkus, offers an 8-week journaling program for those who want to process their grief and trauma with God within the safety of blank journal pages. I’ve completed the program myself and can say confidently that it was incredibly impactful and healing: Journal Gently
Grab some breath prayer cards, a journal, and other contemplative resources from my Etsy shop: The Beholding Co.
Grab a copy of my Bible study, You Are Beloved: a 21-day study on how to root your identity in the love of God, over on Amazon. And if you’d like a free 3-day sample of the study, hit reply to this email and I’ll send it right over!
An Invitation to Pause & Reflect
A regular practice of reflection helps us recognize what’s going on beneath the surface of our souls so we can name it in the Lord’s presence. Because as we learn to name what we feel, what we need, and what we long for, we’re also learning to discern the Spirit’s sweet, gentle voice within our hearts and lives.
Take a few moments today or this weekend to journal or contemplate with the Holy Spirit the following question(s) or prompt(s):
How might you incorporate the practice of pausing into your life?
What might it look like to live unhurried for one day? Give it a try and then pay attention to how God meets you in that slower pace.