February 1: Slow is Fast And Fast Is Smooth

Affirmation: I am kind to myself.  I allow myself to slow down & enjoy life.
“Be still, and know that I am God;” Psalm ‭46:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬~~~~~~~~~~~

Ponder, Personalize and Practice:

Today continue pondering and personalizing these verses. As you meditate you are practicing these directives. Continue to meditate on these verses and and practice what you are learning.

“…Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:8-9“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

~~~~~~Catching Whimsy: 365 Days of Possibility by Bob Goff 

                      February 1

Slow is Fast  And Fast Is Smooth
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the Earth.” Psalm 46:10

I have a pretty short list of things I have wondered about that I haven’t experienced yet. Some of you wonder what it might feel like to take a ride in a hot air balloon or scream with your hands over your head on a roller coaster. My list is a little different, I wonder what it would feel like to fall into a pit of quicksand. I know it sounds crazy; quicksand is not the kind of thing you find close by. Nevertheless, I have been studying up, so I will know what to do if it happens to be me by mistake or I do it on purpose. From what I’m told, the more you try to get out of quicksand, the deeper you sink in. It also doesn’t occur very quickly, but “slow sand” doesn’t sound as ominous, so they keep the name for the movies.

Feeling stuck and slowly sinking is not an experience limited to being stuck in quicksand. We can find ourselves stuck in relationships, jobs, and even crisis of faith where we feel like we’re slowly sinking with no escape route. Here’s a pro tip if you fall on quicksand: don’t try so hard to get out. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but perhaps you need to push back against the alarm bells you’ve been listening to that tell you to strive, hustle, and look like you have it together. Stop trying so hard to make it all happen right now; our instinct is to overachieve may be killing the authentic version of us that is itching to impact the world over a longer time.

Admit it, we can get so busy trying to help God that we miss out on what God is already doing in and around us. If our head is constantly down, striving and hustling, we might miss the new opportunities, the delightful new friendships, and the beauty God has placed in our paths. I am not saying that tenacity or hard work is bad. These can be good and honorable and redemptive. But for some of us, we need to come clean and realize that, in all of our thrashing about, we are sinking down more in the muck than we are getting out of it. If this is you, God‘s word might be this: Be still and know that I am God.

Be honest with yourself as you reflect and ask whether there are areas in your life where you might be trying too hard. If you’re feeling stuck, experience some freedom today by pausing a bit. Let God‘s wind blow your hair back like a dog with its head out the car window.

Replace striving with peace today and you will experience more freedom.