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How are you moving through life? Do you feel like everything is well managed, running smoothly, and under control at all times? The implication in that question is do you feel like your life is within your control? My guess is no.

In the western world, the US in particular, our society has trained us to go-go-go, do-do-do, be the best, QUICK! We are conditioned to GO and DO. We fight to squeeze every drop of productivity out of every minute! If we are not going and doing, we are somehow failing. But by packing our lives and calendars so much, we have to rush from one thing to the next. What of life's best experiences can truly be experienced that way?? Can you remember the best meal you've ever eaten, because you took the time to savor and enjoy it? Or have we been so programmed to hurry to the next thing on our to-do list that we miss out on really living?

In the book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, Peter Scazzero uses the metaphor of a blizzard to describe our busy lives. I've never experienced a blizzard apart from Dairy Queen, but I've read enough about them and heard from people who have experienced them to know about the danger. There is so much wind and snow and ice blowing around that it can be impossible to see more than inches in front of your face! Doesn't that sound like how our schedules can get when we say yes to too many things instead of listening for what God wants us to be doing? In order to stay safe in a blizzard, you need a rope tied from your front door to... wherever you may need to go when the weather is that bad, like a barn with livestock. Not a thread, nothing flimsy, a ROPE. I think what many of us try to do is hack our way through life with a sword. A machete may clear visibility in a jungle, but it certainly won't help in a blizzard! Tether yourself to the Lord, our anchor in the storm, with a thick, strong rope formed of healthy habits and rhythms. Ecclesiastes 4 says "A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart." The more strands in your rope, the less likely it is to break.

  • Learn to say no to some things so you have margin to say yes to the best things - the things God has for you!
  • Take time to rest. If like me, you often come home from vacation needing another vacation, something's not right!
  • Keep the Sabbath. I know most of us think "Sunday" when we hear sabbath, but that's not the case for everyone. I work on Sunday! There are things I say no to another day of the week so that I still have one day set aside for me and the Lord.
  • Have a support system. We are not made to walk alone! The nature of God as the Trinity shows us that from the very beginning.

There are four strands to incorporate into your rope-making! A fifth one is something I hadn't heard about much until reading Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, and I really had to pause and think about how I could live this rhythm. It's called the "daily office"- many of you may have heard of it, but if not, this is a time you set aside every day to refocus on God. When I have a lot to get done, I take what I call "list breaks" to sort out what feels like chaos and make sure I don't miss anything. The daily office is not another task, it's a step back from your tasks to reconnect with Jesus. I actually prefer the term "daily opus" over office! This was a harder rhythm for me to understand though. It's very much a (holy) mindfulness exercise, and those can actually be mentally painful for me. Sitting still, quieting my mind, and focusing on only one thing takes a monumental effort, and that is the opposite of the point of a daily office! For many people, stepping away from part of their day to meditate with the Lord is fantastic, and they walk away feeling refreshed and ready for the rest of the day. If you're anything like me though, you may walk away feeling like your brain is melting in sweat (you're welcome for that lovely mental imagery). So how do I work on this cord? My daily opus involves movement. I still step back from all the things I feel like I have to be doing in order to be succeeding, but through a series of stretches I don't have to pay attention to, I am able to have that focused time of communing with my heavenly Father. Going for a walk is another great idea. Jesus walked everywhere! But notice that he never had to hurry or rush. He was on the most important mission ever, but He walked. Try going for a walk with Jesus this week, remembering not to walk too fast. Walk at His pace.  

There are other dangers to life-in-a-hurry. Sometimes we also end up rushing and hurrying to avoid things. Things we don't want to think about, or do, or process. If I don't have time to stop and look at it, it can't hurt me, right? So we run at 100mph carrying +/- 20 years of accumulated baggage. Heavy stuff that only gets heavier the longer we carry it. God does not want anyone to drive themselves into the ground carrying weights we put on our own backs. He wants to share our burdens, heal us from past hurts or patterns, and for us to experience His freedom. God is not able to give you the life He wants for you - the best experiences - when you've loaded yourself down with hurt, or shame, or the need to accomplish. Put those burdens down, and feel how much more freely you can move once you've healed and let go. It's ok. Chill out. Live into God's rhythm of your life, rest, take time to process your emotions and experiences - the good and the bad. Then you can receive what God has for you.

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

Romans 12:2 

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