“We need permission to be un-spectacular. . . . We need permission to take our time, to marvel, to wonder and ponder and savor, to move at the unhurried pace of Christ. Time is not a commodity to be used by a gem to be treasured.”- Jennifer Dukes Lee
In Chapter 1 (“Permission to be Un-spectacular”) of Growing Slow, Jennifer Dukes Lee observes that we all crave a meaningful life. And that’s a good and holy quest. But somewhere in this quest for meaning, we wind up getting mixed up and turned around. As a result, we accidentally find ourselves with chronic hurry sickness. And we believe the right amount of self-help dynamite swiftly obliterates any obstacles.
Furthermore, a hurried heart manifests itself in both big and little ways. From your feelings about your life’s worth to your response traffic jams in a long line at Starbucks. Hence, Jennifer lists a number of signs that indicate a hurried heart. The following caught my attention:
- Periods of slowness make you feel uneasy, like you should be doing something productive.
- You check your phone immediately upon waking up.
- Sometimes a sense of urgency to complete a task keeps you up at night.
- You can’t remember the last time you felt bored.
- Delays or unexpected obstacles upset or irritate you.
If we’re honest, Jennifer believes, almost all of us evidence a hurried heart. However, we don’t know how to tap the brakes. Consequently, the author explains:
“We want to believe a slower life is possible but fear we will miss out if we don’t keep up the pace. So we bend to the pressure to go big and miss the gift of slowness, even the gift of obscurity. We chase after something that keeps slipping through our fingers. This grasp at an elusive state of spectacular never ends, for it always seems out of reach.”
Today’s question: Do you find it hard to accept the un-spectacular? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The depths of your roots vs. growth pace”