Slow Down

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 

God speaks to us all in so many ways. He most often speaks to us in prayer and through the reading of his word. But, He can also speak to us through the people He has placed around us in our lives and even through our dreams. Lately, I think my favorite way that God has chosen to speak to me is through my child. He’s taught me lessons through my son that have been life-changing for me, shifting my heart forever. 

Take this Halloween, for instance. While taking my son trick or treating with a group of friends, God spoke clearly to me. As we set off around the neighborhood, he told me adamantly that he did not need me to bring his stroller. I should have used my mother’s intuition and realized that a three-year-old wouldn't be able to keep up with all the others as we walked over two miles. But, I let him convince me that he could be a big boy and hang with the older kids. 

When we were about half way through, he began to get so tired that it caused him to fall behind. He wanted badly to keep up with the older kids but he just couldn’t. I tried to hurry him along so we could catch up, even skipping out on some of the houses along the way to make our way closer to the group. Because of all the rushing, he no longer enjoyed the moment. The joy he had when we were leisurely walking and enjoying our time together was gone because we were trying so hard to keep up with everyone else. It was in that instant that I clearly heard God's voice. 

So many of us do this very same thing in life with the seasons we face. We try to rush through times that might not seem as important as what we think our next season will look like and we don’t enjoy the small things along the way because we are so focused on what’s next. We also battle the mindset of “Keeping up with the Joneses.” God reminded me how we often compare our lives, seasons, or walk with God with other people who surround us because we think our journeys should look exactly the same. But, nothing could be further from the truth. 

As Baxley and I began to slow down again and just enjoy being on the journey together, we laughed so hard that I could see the joy and life brimming out of him once again. Once we made it back to our starting point, all the kids began to compare candy and I noticed that Baxley didn’t have some of the same goody bags as the others. One of the moms described the house they got it from and I realized it was a house we skipped when we were trying to catch up. Because we were trying so hard to keep up with everyone else, we missed out on some of the bigger treat bags. The way we trick-or-treated that night is a great picture of how many of us spend our lives. 

When we try to speed up the season that we are in, we can miss the blessings that God has lined up for us because we are rushing instead of turning our attention to what He is trying to do in our lives. 

As I reflected on our night, it reminded me to choose joy and thankfulness in every season, every situation, and in every circumstance as I look for God and what he is trying to teach me. His timing is perfect, His hand in our lives is perfect, and all we have to do is remain in His will and allow Him to guide every step we take.