Sometime last winter, Don, Correy, Seth and I were hanging out in the kitchen talking. It was a late December night. I remember it was really cold. Don was talking to us about something pretty important. I only remember this because I got really, really excited. Sometimes, actually most of the time, when I get excited about something (especially Jesus), I often forget about what is around me and tend to break things. On that night, Don said something that got me really fired up and I jumped up onto our counter in the kitchen and instantly it snapped. It was a cheap marble knock off, but it just split right in two. I sunk into where the dishwasher was for a second and then got off. I was like "oh crap. not again". Everyone just started laughing, and then I joined them.
Things like this happen to me a lot. I break stuff. I wouldn't say I am a clumsy guy. I am more mis fortunate and reckless than anything. Like yesterday for instance. The Off The Wall team went over to a friends house for lunch. Our friend has a beautiful home in Stonecreek, Ohio, with lots of hills. He also has a trampoline. After I had finished eating Italian sausage over the fire, I ran over to his trampoline a few yards away. Lincoln was jumping on it at the time. I yelled at him to get off because I wanted to try something cool. So, as Lincoln jumped off, I started sprinting toward the trampoline from about 25 yards away. As I got closer and closer and prepared myself to jump onto it, i visualized what I was going to do. I would jump about 3 feet from the trampoline and my momentum would propel me forward and up. I would hit the middle and bounce a good 10 feet in the air, and then land on the grass on the other side of the trampoline. But this did not happen. My feet did not do what I thought they would.
As I approached the trampoline running at about 3/4 speed, my feet slipped on the grass. (I had bare feet). I had momentum all right, and it propelled my feet to jet out from under me and my body crashed into the metal side of the trampoline, feet first. I was really surprised when it happened, and sort of didn't know what was going on as I dangled upside down somehow attached to the trampoline. Lincoln and Travis howled with laughter as I stepped onto the grass, trying to get myself together.
What these stories have in common, along with many, many other stories is that I tend to move to fast in life. Why this is, I don't know. My mind gets working, and I get excited about something I guess. My body just moves fast. But my fastness does not only lead me to break things. It also makes it really hard for me to slow down, and enjoy the simplicity of life. I love life, but I live it at an unnecessarily fast pace.
It is ironic. The times when I feel God is distant, are usually the times when I am moving so fast, that I never be still and know that He is God. God can meet us where we are at. But He says again and again, that He desires to meet us in the stillness, in the silence, and in the quiet.
This morning I woke up at 5:30 and went down stairs. No one was up yet. Usually, the first thing I do in the morning is check my email, facebook, and ESPN to see if the Redsox are any closer to making the playoffs (still 5 games out of first, but there still is a month left). But today, I spent some time with Jesus alone. No music, no internet, just me and the Word. It was really refreshing. I read the first 2 chapters of Ephesians, a few Psalms and 1 Corinthians 15.
God desires that we enjoy every minute of every day. He desires that we reflect on Him, and what He has done and is doing in our lives. This year, I hope to learn to discipline myself to slow down. A goal of mine is that I live at a slower pace of life.
It all starts with this.
"Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10
JN
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