Blam, squish, whack! Bugs splattering and smeared across my windscreen, eyes peeled on kangaroo watch as trees flash by. I’m a country kid, who grew up driving tractors, land rovers, motorbikes and utes on a farm and on dirt roads, so it’s in my DNA and I feel right at home zipping along at 110 on country roads.
Travelling at speed means looking further up the road, anticipating the turns, thinking, seeing and responding more quickly to avoid scavenging crows or nasty potholes. The sense of pace diminishes as the journey progresses and going quickly just becomes the norm. On a recent road trip to Biloela, driving alone, listening to eBooks and podcasts at 110, the kilometres whizzed by. I was in the zone and nearly in Biloela when the flashing school zone sign for Mount Murchison State School meant slowing dramatically before and after the little school located right next to the highway. Having adapted to the pace of 110, slowing down felt strange, a little frustrating and sooo slow! A slower pace meant that I noticed the trees, the flag flying and the active school kids buzzing around in the safety of their yard. I clearly saw the smaller things by slowing down.
How is your pace right now? The teacher and leader cycle can so often be, go, go, go, stop for holidays, get sick, recover and go back to the new term. How do you wind down, slow back the pace and take your foot off the accelerator? Does it take a while to adapt, not check emails, to be ok without a plan? Our Lord understands the demands of a hectic schedule and the constant demands of being in relationship to serve and teach. In these moments, Jesus ‘practiced the pause’. He intentionally found time to reflect, refresh and recharge by slowing down, praying and seeking solace in His father.
In Psalm 46, David writes that our Lord says to be still, and know that He is God. Wow, that’s a challenge! Knowing that He is God is ok, but in our humanity, the ‘be still’ part can be hard to achieve. It’s ok to pause. On the seventh day, following the awesome task of creating the world and His people, even God rested. He provides a powerful role model for us.
Its ok to be still. Laying on a sandy beach, trekking in the bush, climbing a mountain, riding your bike, eating with friends, laughing at the movies, sleeping in, hugging family, enjoying ice cream or sipping shiraz, be still.
Be refreshed. Be recharged. Be renewed.
Be still, and know that He is God.
Blessings as we serve, lead and learn together.
Darren
