Slow Down, It’s Not a Race
In the last couple of weeks our lives have changed quite a bit. I learned I have a rare form of bone marrow cancer. I had noticed for a few months that I was short of breath and could not always do what I had always done even as an old guy. I find myself at times having to stop in the middle of something and just sitting down or relaxing. This has been a super weird time for me. In the past I’ve not gotten tired very easily. With this cancer I do not make red blood cells so oxygen cannot get where it needs to keep me going.
I tell you all that because a thought has been hitting me like crazy lately. I was walking into the high school earlier today to pray with the food team and I found myself in a hurry. I actually said “Hey, slow down you’re not in a race.” I slowed down and I’m catching myself saying that to myself quite a bit lately. I slow down and walk slowly and measure each step. It is tough to do at times because I think I have so much to accomplish and people to see. Don’t we all find ourselves in that place? Not sure why we feel the world will stop if we are not right in the center of it.
I’m learning through this process maybe why even God “worked” six days and then took a day off. He created a Sabbath because He knew we would need to rest so he took the stink off of it. He wants us to take a day off, to relax every once in a while and stop the race. I just said a mouthful about some stuff I have a tough time actually doing. At least until a few weeks ago, and then God send me a little bit of a slowdown message. I do not do well about taking my days off and working until 10 p.m. some days.
I’m learning through my physical problem that rest is something we must do every day. We need to remember that we are in a race, but our only opponent is the person in the mirror. Why else would Jesus call out to the crowd one day with these words: “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The teaching that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.“ Matthew 11:28-30 (NCV)
Jesus announces that the way He sees things if you are weary then come to him and he will help you rest. Problem is that we have a hard time slowing down long enough to hear those words of his again. God does not want us running on empty but instead wants us resting in Him. If we are going to finish our lives the way God intends for us to finish we need to realize that part of that is to rest. Not keep going a hundred miles an hour, but to remember life is not a race. We all are running, but there is no order of prizes. We are running, just not the same race. We all have to find our pace, our path and our rhythm. We need to listen to our bodies and our souls. When we need to slow down and rest we better listen and find the rest we need. I do not have a six step plan to make this work. All I can tell you is that you have to make a choice to rest when you need to. If you cannot then maybe we all need to remember the goal is to finish and receive a medal. Don’t let yourself get caught tired and worn out, just because you feel like you have to go fast.