Like a Turtle on the Trail

Slow me down, Lord. Ease the pounding of my heart by the quieting of my mind. Steady my hurried pace with a vision of the eternal reach of time.

Give me, amid the confusion of the day, the calmness of the everlasting hills. Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles with the soothing music of the singing streams that live in my memory.

Help me to know the magical, restoring power of sleep. Teach me the art of taking minute vacations—-To read a few lines from a good book, of slowing down to look at a flower, to chat with a friend, to pat a dog,

Remind me that there is more to life than increasing its speed. Let me look upward into the branches of the towering oak and know that it grew great and strong because it grew slowly and well.

Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life’s enduring values, that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny.

Amen.

An over active contemporary life style is a warning to sit down and ponder this prayer attributed to Cardinal Richard Cushing of Boston (1895-1968). Restlessness and rushing are very common in life today. However, hurry leads to worry, complications and frustrations that scatter our thoughts, depletes concentration, and fosters discouragement or burn out. To avoid these negatives, we need to make haste slowly. Time is God’s gift to us, and how we use it is our gift to God. How we spend our time and what we do with it, is time’s secondary value. Its primary value is how it fits within the framework of God’s favor and who we become through it. As we travel a little slower and listen a little longer, we find snippets of Christian wisdom and use them in practical application. 

The benefits of slowing down have yet to be fully appreciated in the wellness arena. How can we increase the value of slow? We can and should slow down our pace of living. The advantages of slowing down are many: Life is no longer whizzing by. We can see more. We have a greater appreciation of the beauty of life and the wonder of creation around us. We realize that every human person is a mystery, and is never learned completely. An unhurried demeanor offers others the freedom to slow down and listen in because we are available to them. Receptivity to God’s grace gently calls us away from the rapid pace and negative pull of society and poses a serious question: How does what we do with our time reflect our priorities and Christian life style?  

On the Importance of Waiting

Gregory the Great offers this counsel on waiting: “In times of uncertainty, wait. Always, if you have any doubt, wait. Do not force yourself into any action. If you have a restraint in your spirit, wait until all is clear, and do not go against it. Hold to patience in your hearts, my friends, and put it into action when the situation calls for it. Don’t let any abusive word from your neighbor stir up hatred in you, and don’t allow any loss of things that pass away to upset you. If you are steadfast in fearing the loss of those things that last forever, you will never take seriously the loss of those that pass away. If you keep your eyes fixed on the glory of our eternal recompense, you will not resent a temporal injury. You must bear with those who oppose you but also love those you bear with. Seek an eternal reward in return for your temporal losses.”    

In times of hesitation or suspicion, we wait. We should not force ourselves to act if we do not feel reasonably confident about the action. Things are not always what they seem to be. We wait when a situation calls for it. We guard against letting abusive words from others stir hatred in us, and avoid reacting negatively toward others when we are annoyed or angry with them. Impulsive, hurtful actions are too common in today‘s society. 

When we learn to wait, benefits of today outweigh regrets about the past or worry about tomorrow. A slower pace allows an appreciation of the beauties of the day, and a cultivation of tranquility so needed in this speed driven society. We take each day as it comes, do what can be done during that day, and leave the rest to God. Life is not a race to be won by the fastest runner or by the one who gets the biggest lead at the start. Too much too soon is ruinous. We move along, and in good time do what needs to be done. One of Aesop’s fables is about a race between two animals. The rabbit took off like a flash, ran as fast as he could, got tired, stopped and fell asleep. The turtle started slowly and maintained this speed until he crossed the finish line first. What was his secret? Tenacity. A Chinese Proverb says: The man who removed the mountain began by carrying away small stones. What at first seems impossible becomes possible with tenacity. It is necessary in doing good deeds or worthy work. A great deed or good work has less to do with the degree of greatness or goodness, and has more to do with sticking with the deed or work, especially after the good feelings or sweet satisfaction wears thin. Prayer helps Christians remain steadfast to the end in spite of discouragement, oppression, opposition or set backs. As we slow down, prayer changes from a task to be done to an essence into which we are drawn day by day. Prayer assists us in becoming more attentive to the supernatural reality that is within and around us. This makes our days an easier give and take. Decisions will not always be as we wish. However, with prayer, we accept the things we cannot change and strive to live peacefully.

Slowing down means that tasks can be done peacefully rather than frenetically. Work tasks permeate the day. Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote: “It is not only prayer that gives God glory but work. Smiting on an anvil, sawing a beam, whitewashing a wall, driving horses, sweeping, scouring, everything gives God some glory if being in his grace you do it as your duty. To go to communion worthily gives God great glory, but a man with a dung fork in his hand, a woman with a slop pail, gives him glory too. He is so great that all things give him glory if you mean they should.”  

Giving glory to God allows room for sweet mysteries in our daily routine. We blossom by dwelling on exquisite mystery. Mystery allows us to be at ease and constructively fruitful as we move ahead. Days are more pleasant when whirlwind hours change to cherished, precious moments. Every job has its challenges, but, with a positive orientation, they can be regarded as opportunities for personal growth. We pay attention to the quality of our work, rather than rushing to complete it with a minimum of effort and in the shortest amount of time. To pause instead of rush, be quiet instead of complain, listen instead of argue, get on with life instead of giving up our life long dreams are ongoing challenges. More often than not, leisurely relaxation gives us a renewed boost when doing exhausting tasks. Leisure calms the body, mind and soul. Blessed is the leisure task that does not need batteries or electricity. Staci gives us a lovely example of a leisure task that many people enjoy.

“Over the past few weeks of working in my small garden, I’ve come to understand the beauty and gifts of just pulling up roots of grass and weeds from the garden. It forces me to pace myself, be gentle, pull evenly with pressure, determine what is a weed, and what isn’t. There is something almost sedative and meditative about the whole process. As I spend time out there digging around and planting in the dirt, I realize that I am talking with my grandfather, appreciating all he taught me when I was a child. ‘Be gentle.  Go slow. Pull evenly. Be sure to get the roots. Make sure you get it all.’  

“I garden without gloves, and find myself running my fingers in the dirt, taking in the pleasant coolness, the aroma, and just sensing possibility in my hands and fingers. There is something energizing about getting my hands dirty, something that allows the whole world to drop away as I find myself talking with the creatures that are magically appearing, the ladybugs, the bees, the huge earthworms. I talk to the plants, the creatures, and the wind. At the end of a couple of hours I’m caked in layers of clay and dirt on my knees and hands.

“There are those around me who may say that I’m off my rocker. But, for the first time in a long time, I am allowing myself the time to be sick, and take care of myself. I am taking the time to do something that brings me joy. I’m going slowly and making sure the garden is not all about work. It’s nurturing; it’s taking the time to care for something I know I can help and will bring beauty and sustenance into the world. It’s talking to the others who are lovingly doing the same, in the quiet of no electric lights, no electric fans, no television, no radio, just winds, bugs, and the voice of a child playing nearby.”  (Staci Anne Grove)  

Staci’s story is a beautiful reminder of what Cardinal Cushing‘s aspiration looks like when realized: “Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me to send my roots deep into the soil of life’s enduring values that I may grow toward the stars of my greater destiny.”