There is a seemingly understated place in northwest Alabama where the river sings and the leaves are changing. In this place the winding roads beg for exploration and the soundtrack to life keeps you moving. This place has a different speed, a different set of expectations, and a different way of life. You know the kind of place where you can literally sit in a rocking chair on the porch, drink your coffee and just be. This is the place I recently visited. This is the place my soul needed to start the fall.  

You see, life seems to always demand a pace that is just outside of sustainable. It begs you to stay busy and overcommitted and never lets up. Yet when you step away for a break and visit these seemingly understated places you are quickly reminded of what could be your daily pace if you would just make a few small adjustments. So, why is making those adjustments so difficult for us to do? What will we really miss out on by not saying yes to everything? 

Being in a place like this reminds me of when I traveled to Colorado this summer and stayed in the mountains by Pikes Peak. One morning as I was sitting on the deck watching the sunrise I saw a hummingbird. Normally when you see a hummingbird it is busily eating/drinking and moving from place to place. Its wings move so fast you can barely see them and their tiny bodies moving quickly forwards, backwards and side to side. But did you know that because of their wing to body ratio hummingbirds should not be able to fly? Yet they have overcome adversity to become quite adept at getting from place to place and acquiring their meals. 

That morning in Colorado was different. The hummingbird that I saw was perched on a branch close by just looking at me as I was looking at it. It was still and motionless, almost frozen. Then it flew off. It returned to perch again and then flew off yet again. This pattern repeated itself multiple times until it finally flew away. As I was left sitting there it occurred to me just like it has here in this place where the river sings that life can be busy, but all our Heavenly Father wants from us is to sit, be still, and draw near to Him. To build our relationship with Him. To sit in silence and solitude long enough for us to really hear what He has to say to us. 

Why? Why does it matter if we rest? Because how often does our Heavenly Father ask us to pause and rest or better yet pause and spend more time in His presence? I feel like He asks this of us more often than we are willing to recognize or even admit. We have created a culture of busy. We are constantly on the go and involved in so many things we barely take time to get quiet and rest. 

You see, I know a little about being busy and not resting because this is an area that is a challenge for me. I like to be busy. I love being involved in a variety of things. I love completing things on my checklist and I have recently been challenging myself to try new things. All these things are centered around me, and yet all my Heavenly Father is asking of me is my attention, my solitude, and my silence. If I am truly honest with myself, I think I would admit that I struggle with true quiet time, not just time “alone” or time without screens, books, etc, but that deep quiet to the core of your soul. Why? Probably because I am not sure what He will ask of me when I get truly quiet. Like I said, this is something I am working on and practicing. 

To help remind me to pause, I have a sticky note on my desk that reads: “SLOW DOWN! Who do you see? What do they need? How can I help?” These three questions are a reminder to rest. These three questions are a reminder to pause, get quiet, and listen for what my Heavenly Father is asking of me at that moment. These three questions are a reminder to look around at those around me to truly see them and their needs, just like in the story of the Good Samaritan.

Why is it difficult for us to slow down, to rest and to make space to hear all that our Heavenly Father has to say? Maybe it’s control, maybe it’s pride, maybe it’s an idol in this busy life that keeps us busy and distracted. When we dig down to understand why it will help us to release, rest, and get quiet.  

The Parable of the Good Samaritan – Luke 10:25 – 37

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”