S L O W
Not quick or fast. Low velocity or speed.
It’s not an impatient person’s favorite word. We hate when we get in the “slow” line at the store. That “slow” driver in front of us in the left lane on the highway isn’t our favorite. What about waiting on our kids to do just about anything that resembles work, like cleaning their room or doing the dishes? “I’ll get it mom. Just be patient!”
“Hurry up!” How often do you think those words?
Time ticks by at such a glacial pace when we are waiting for something amazing to happen but is NASCAR fast when we are wanting vacation to last forever.
Slow can bring with it uncomfortable moments we keep at a distance when we’re busy, like finally having time to think the thoughts we have been avoiding or feel the feels we’ve been denying far too long. So we begin to think slow is our enemy.
I like the synonyms of slow, even though they rarely define my pace.
Unhurried. Leisurely. Measured. Deliberate. Relaxed. Undemanding. Decelerate.
Oh for these words to be accurate about my life!
There are moments when speed is necessary, unavoidable even, when life happens and appointments and kids and practices and swim meets and track meets and band concerts and birthdays all happen in the same week. And work. Let’s not forget work. Slow? Ain’t nobody got time for that in THOSE weeks.
But if that is the constant pace of our lives, we won’t last long without crashing. When life is all gas and no brakes, we need to be intentional about creating moments of deceleration amidst the chaos. We need to on purpose make sure slow is found in the rhythms of our routines.
It won’t just happen, you know. We will have to fight for it. Slow and steady doesn’t always win the race, but it does make it more likely that we will finish without burning out.
How do you create SLOW in the rhythms of your life? I’d love to hear!