Sloooowwww it down!

I know you do it too!  You rush around your day, run from here to there, there to here, barely stopping to notice if you are breathing.  Sun up to sun down you are moving, talking, shuffling, reading, writing, serving, listening to others, driving, fetching, cooking, cleaning up messes, handling crises, organizing chaos. . . whew. . . when does it end?  Isn't it about time you simply slow down?  Don't you think it's the right time to go just a little bit slower so you notice the last roses on the bushes before they get frosted out, see the kids in the neighborhood jump into those piles of raked leaves, listen to the words of a sappy song on the radio, hear the story your child is trying to tell you about an interaction she had in school. . . don't you think it's time to downshift your gears a bit?

I had a wakeup call this past week as I rushed through all the tasks and work I had on my schedule.  I came home one afternoon this week to hear from my daughter that I had left the front burner of the stove on.  She discovered this as she put a plastic container on top of what she thought was a cool appliance.  The reality is that I could have burned the house down!  That's an extremely scary thought.  When I was a teenager our dog jumped up on the kitchen counter to get something that was up there that she wanted, she hit the control on the stove and some snack bags caught on fire. . . we came home to a burning kitchen that had to be completely gutted.  We were lucky.  I was lucky this week.  But I think it means I am supposed to slow down, pay attention, focus a little better rather than being so scattered.

The other part of slowing down is that there is so much to enjoy, however I tend to miss much of it when I am over-scheduling myself, failing to say "no" to things that could be left to someone else to do, and choosing what is most important and making time for that rather than filling my day with busy-ness.  How about you?  Are you encouraged to take a slower pace today?  Can you stop and fill your lungs with some fresh air so you can actually think a bit clearer?  Can you do something good to take care of yourself, your spirit, your body and mind today?

As for me. . . time to get my nikes on because my pup is waiting for me to go for a walk.  So off I go for some quality time, some quiet time with my Martin Luther.  Peace be with you friends!
amy