I’m not slowing down Spiritually

I’m not slowing down mentally

I’m not slowing down relationally

I’m not slowing down passionately

But I’m slowing down physically.

I vividly recall the first time I heard that I needed to slow down.

I was sitting in a doctor’s office after having some test done to deal with some very specific physical symptoms I was experiencing. The doctor started out by telling me some good news that there was actually nothing physically wrong with me. He then proceeded to tell me  some bad news that it was all stress related. It was also the first time  I had ever heard, or thought about the idea of “Stress.”

Then he said something that very definitely got my attention. He told that that I needed to slow down or else! I recall thinking that I didn’t even want to entertain the thought of what “Or else” could possibly mean.

Well I’m not what I’m going to be and I’m not what I want to be, but at least I’m not what I was!

I admit that I still have a tendency to try to do too much and travel too fast, but over the years, by His grace I’ve made progress in slowing down. I use to have one speed, fast forward! I’m replacing it with slow forward!

You may have read the book, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer.

Hurry

Now at 85, my physical body, especially my legs, are slowing me down. Old age is where most things hurt and what doesn’t hurt doesn’t work. Well my legs (for reasons I still don’t yet know) are not working the way they use to. I’m in the process of trying to find out why, but it might just be older age.

As a result I walk slower and make turns and shifts slower. I can still walk okay (not ready for a walker just yet) but it’s, laborious and at times uncomfortable. It takes me longer to get from point A to point B. When I get to where I’m heading I have good energy and clear thinking. It just takes me a while longer to get there.

A man from the USA was on a African Safari moving along at a pretty good clip. One morning the men he had hired to travel with him and help him were sitting around not doing much.  After barking at them through his interpreter as to why they were not moving out, he was told that the men were waiting for their souls to catch up with their bodies. I resonate with that.

I don’t like being and feeling physically weak, but I may just have to get use to it.

I recently encountered  2 Corinthians 12:9 in the Living Bible which I now have pasted in the front of my Bible. This is where Jesus responded to Paul’s prayer to be healed of what most likely was a physical impairment of some kind:

“Each time He said, no, but I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people. Now I’m glad to boast about how weak I am; I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ’s power instead of showing off my own power and abilities.”

I am discovering some benefits of having to slow down physically:

• I’m not as much in a hurry as I use to be, because my legs won’t move as fast as they use to

• I’m becoming more observant to what’s going on around me because I’m moving slower

• I’m listening better—I have two words clipped to the top of my computer monitor, “Listen Well.”

There may be a few of you reading this that are wanting to slow down or needing to slow down. Or perhaps you know someone who is plainly moving too fast and trying to accomplish too much. Hopefully the sharing  of my journey will be of help and encouragement.