I have always been a “fast” person. I walked fast, ate fast, worked fast, learned fast, and played fast. I used to be able to stop on a dime spin around on my heel and head in a different direction. I could not sit without doing something with my mind or my hands, usually crocheting or knitting or reading.
That all has changed. “Fast” has been eliminated from my vocabulary. I don’t spin anymore, unless I want to land on the floor. My hands won’t allow me to crochet or knit much. And my mind…well, it takes a little while longer to process anything new. I have slowed down. And that often irritates me. I told Pastor Paco recently, “the spirit is willing, but the body says ‘Nope!’”
It is hard to be slow in a society that values speed and is always looking for ways to be faster. And yet being slow allows me to hear God’s voice more clearly. Being slow allows me to see my LORD and Savior all around me. Being slow allows me to be more aware of when people are hurting or confused or lost. Being slow now gives me time to be kinder, more encouraging, more patient, more responsive to the needs of others.
Romans 12:15 tell us to “Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.” [NLT]
When we are fast paced we often speed right past those who are rejoicing or those who are weeping. We fail to bring comfort when we fail to notice it is needed.
Now I am slow. I cannot do what I once did … but oh my, the things I now have time to do! Praise God!
