Where Are You?

Let’s start by identifying your pace of life and your ideas concerning slowing down. As you do this, it’s important that you simply acknowledge where you are – not where you want to be or where you think you should be, but where you actually are today.

Think about your week last week. How much sleep did you get? Enough? What amount of time did you have to relax, spend with friends and family, and engage in hobbies? What did your time with God look like? Did you have times of delighting in relationship with Him? Can you remember a moment you experienced wonder?

You might think your week last week was abnormal, and most likely it was. Most of our weeks, if we’re honest, don’t go according to plan. How would you answer these same questions about your last month? Would your answers be significantly different?

When you think about slowing down, there might be a few thoughts or feelings that rise to the surface.

• Perhaps the idea causes you to breathe a sigh of relief and long for a quiet moment in the midst of the hecticness of life.
• Maybe you can’t imagine what to do or how to live without constantly going and doing.
• You might even feel as if slowing down is the same thing as laziness and look down on the idea.
• Or maybe you feel like slowing down is a gift for some people, but not for you.

These thoughts and feelings are all real and valid, even if they’re not all true. We’ll talk about truths related to slowing down as we move through today, but for now, consider where you are.

Reflection

How would you describe your pace of life? What changes do you think are needed in your life?

What do you believe about slowing down?