Waking Up to the Beauty of Slow (Because Jesus Didn't Go Fast)

I do everything fast…sometimes really fast.  I talk fast.  Much to my detriment, I eat fast.  I can clean my house lickety-split. I think fast. I read fast. And I once had a friend refuse to walk with me anymore because she said I walked too fast.  

The only think I can’t do is run fast…dang it. 

When I was a little girl, I remember watching the original version of Cheaper by the Dozen, starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy, in which the father was an industrial engineer and efficiency expert. With great intensity, and some humor, he made a study of the quickest way to do things – whether it was buttoning a vest, taking a bath, or learning math and science.  I was absolutely enthralled with this concept of making a living by figuring out the quickest way to do things!  Seriously…the coolest job ever!

I never became an engineer (hated math), but every single day I find myself trying to determine the quickest way to do things.I play it over in my mind, I make a plan, then I do. Lickity split.

So in 2016, while attending an Emotionally Healthy Spirituality conference in Queens, NY, in which I was introduced to the practice of “slowing down for loving union with Christ,” I was challenged beyond belief.  Slowing down? Could such a thing ever truly be done… by me?  I remember thinking, “You have no idea what goes on in this head of mine.  Honestly, if I tried to stop, let alone slow down, the monkeys would come out in mass to play!”

Being a true 8 with a dominate 7 wing didn’t help matters. If you know anything about the Enneagram, you know that 8’s, as well as 7s, have just about more energy than they can manage.  I’ve described to my own Spiritual Director that it’s like I’m always “revving,” never fully stopping, even when I sleep.

What can be done with that?

But, in His divine providence, before leaving that conference, I found myself in a personal side-bar discussion with the King of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality himself, Peter Scazzero. With a humble, bold, and compassionate wisdom, he told me, “Slowing down, silence, and solitude are the absolute most difficult disciplines you will ever master.  It takes years.”

Without exception, this statement is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received. It has given me permission to struggle, letting me know that even if things are difficult, it doesn’t mean I’m incapable. It just means it’s hard.

God knew exactly what my soul needed to hear that day.  

Waking up to the beauty of slow has been a journey.  I’m not going to lie…just like Pete said, it’s been the most difficult discipline I’ve ever tried to master.  I started with silence and solitude. Making it one minute was torture. To this day, some mornings, as I settle on my couch to begin my day in the beauty of slow, I find myself reigning it back in at least 50 times during my 15 minute sit.  Then as I remind myself that I can wait and ponder, perhaps even pray, as opposed to making a quick decision, I realize how contrary the way of slow is to my habitual way of moving through my days.

As I tell remind myself to slow down on my walks, taking time to soak in the beauty of a blossom in the dead of winter, or a rabbit scurrying off to his hideout, I find my soul awakening as I take the time to take a deeper breath, truly experiencing the freshness of God’s creation.

I’m calmer.  I’m wiser.   I am more capable of responding rather than reacting.  Some things might not get done, but that’s okay. It doesn’t cause me anxiety,  Making room for the greater things in life has been the result.  I’m happier.  I’m more content and more at peace.  My relationships are richer and my confidence is greater. But most of all, my intimacy with my Heavenly Father is deeper and continues to grow. Waking up to a new level of knowing my true identity – as God’s beloved daughter – has become more embodied, moving from an intellectual to an experiential level.

All this and more because I finally woke up to the beauty of slow.

Oh, Lord, I’ve missed so very much by moving fast. Thank you for helping me to recalibrate my pace to that of Your Holy Spirit. Please help me as I continue on this path.

This idea of slowing…ruthlessly eliminating hurry from our lives…is nothing short of extraordinarily counter-cultural.  Society deems faster is better, waiting is wasteful, and slow is lazy with every message it can muster.

But wasn’t Jesus the epitome of counter-cultural? Do you ever recall in scripture a time when Jesus was in a hurry?  Quite possibly it could have been easy for Him to be driven by the fact that He only had a very short amount of time here on earth, resulting in His cramming in as much as He possibly could in the three years that He was here. But he didn’t go that route. He didn’t care what others thought. He chose a better way.  He went slow.  He didn’t rush.  He knew hurry is a direct assault against love. And He was Perfect Love.

Does any of this resonate with you?  Would you like to learn more?

With this in mind, over these next weeks, in true Coach and Spiritual Director fashion, I hope to share with you ideas, concepts, questions, and possibilities that could help you on your own journey, as you seek to become closer to the One who loves you most, the One who delights in you, the One who has so much to show you, as you chose to wake up to the beauty of slow.

In preparation, I would love to hear your comments, questions and suggestions!  After all, we’re in this together – doing solitary work that cannot be done alone.

Thank you for reading, sharing and responding.  I pray God meets you at ever turn and that you experienced His unhindered pleasure in you!