Slow Down, Please

Hello All,

After work the other day, I was driving home like I was late for being at home. The entire way home I kept getting behind every slow car with no way to pass and hitting every red light. Then once I made it to the freeway, the traffic was as slow as could be, bumper to bumper. I was getting so frustrated. I just wanted to be home. 

Then the title of a Josiah Queen song came to mind. “Slow Down, Please.” All of a sudden it seemed God was using the traffic to tell me something bigger than just slowing down in traffic. 

Last night, my sister and  I went to Costco. I needed a few things for a brunch that I am helping host, so I actually had to go. I usually send my dad and my sister because the store stresses me out. Too many people and none of them know what they are doing. I got what I needed and we decided to go down the aisles to see if there were any snacks we were interested in buying. We didn’t find a lot but as we were standing in the checkout line, my sister made the comment that maybe she would have found more snacks if I hadn’t been running down the aisles. Again another reminder that I needed to slow down. 

I’m always going from one task to another, trying to get everything done with a never-ending to-do list. In July I was busy every single weekend, plus several other events throughout the weekdays. On top of just normal life things like work, church, and family obligations. 

By the beginning of August I was exhausted and had run myself ragged. I knew I needed to slow down and take time to recalibrate my life. Don’t get me wrong I did a lot of fun things in July that I absolutely loved, but it took its toll on me. 

I had to take time to figure out how to get back to a healthy place that I had been in prior to all the craziness and stress of July, which really started in the middle of June. I was burnt out. I had no more joy. I had to find a way to get it back. 

The biggest way to do that was going to be to actually slow down. With all the stress of work that was and is unavoidable I had to find ways to protect my peace at home. To make my home a place to relax and not to be stressed by my to-do list that always seemed to get longer no matter how many things I checked off. 

The first step was to clean my house and actually make it a place I wanted to be and not think of all the things around me that still needed to be done. (I’ve completed like 75% of the cleaning. Still the living room to go!) Next was to stop jam packing my schedule. Yes, it is always fun to hang out with friends but maybe not every weekend. I love seeing my friends and family and doing fun things but I needed a break. When I found myself being more relieved when plans were cancelled than excited for doing them I knew something had to change. I implemented a rule for myself to have one weekend where I scheduled absolutely nothing. Just one weekend a month where I could do whatever I wanted with no obligations to do anything or be anywhere. To not even talk to anyone if I so chose. 

I also knew I needed to lean back into God. Even my Bible reading and quiet time had become an obligation. I needed to slow down and actually pay attention to what I was reading and praying, instead of being distracted by life. 

All of this to say, God finally got a hold of my brain and heart and is in the process of convincing me I need to slow down.  Life has a way of convincing me that if I slow down then I will be behind or not accomplish everything that I feel like I need to accomplish. But the great thing about God is that he wants us to slow down to accomplish the goals He has in store for me. God asks us to slow down and lean into Him. Everything will be accomplished in His timing, I’m the one in a hurry not Him. 

So for the rest of the year my goal is to trust in God in His timing and His plan. To do what I need to do and pray through everything. I can only hear Him if I am silent. (Not an easy thing for me). I want everything I do to be for God’s glory, not for my own. 

If you have been overwhelmed and stressed out, join me in slowing down. I think it will be one of the best decisions we ever make. Pray about the steps you need to take in your own life to help you slow down and move your focus from the to-do list to what God has for you to-do. On what steps will bring peace back to your life. I’ve made an action plan to regain my peace, and pray over the plan everyday. I pray you do the same.

Much love,

Victoria