When God Slows You Down
Do you ever pay attention to those RANDOM thoughts that pop into your head? No? Well you should.
I don't know what you think they are, but I KNOW that they are nudges... whispers from God.
When you are stuck in traffic, when someone cuts you off, when you take too long to do your hair, or when you get the drawbridge (my husband always seems to get the bridge, no matter what). When you take that extra minute to read a post on Facebook even though you have so much to do in your day. When you pay attention to those.. they are God.. s l o w i n g you down.
I have been stuck in a writer's block recently. Nothing was coming to me naturally and I hate to write when I am 'forced' into it, and I really don't like to write about something that isn't effecting me in any way. So, why am I telling you all of this?
Because, today... the series of events that started my day turned into this post.
Today was just like every other morning in my house. Get up. Get coffee. Open eyes. Wake boys up. Get boys dressed. Go to the store for breakfast (we own a bagel shop & deli). But while there, the power went out - apparently the whole area went out because when I got home later all my clocks were flashing - and that slowed me up a bit (definitely am not cutting any bagels in the dark with those sharp knives! Power came back on about 2 mins later) Then some officers came in for breakfast and said hi and even though it was just a 30 second conversation, that 30 seconds is like an eternity when it comes to grace. I left, dropped the boys off at school. Had I not been held up this morning by the few things that were out of the ordinary, I would not have gotten behind a tractor doing 20 in a 45. Alllllllll the way home. My drive home from the school this morning should have been 5 minutes. It was 12. But there on that one stretch of road.... God whispered "look up". I look up at the sky, nothing crazy, no reds, oranges or golds as the sun was rising. It was kind of cloud covered with just a little blue peeking through. But it was STILL unbelievably beautiful. Like a painting of soft blues, purples and pinks. The sky, it looked fake. Like someone had just taken a brush and made a masterpiece of the sky. I don't know if there was any meaning to it... just a reminder that life is LIFE. I still woke up this morning and showed up for "work" (taking care of my family). I am still breathing. I still have sight. I am still alive.
God slowed me down this morning, maybe, to remind me that even though, personally, life is really stressful right now, that He is still there. That He is the constant. Look up, He said. Talk to me, He said. Put your worries on me, He said.
It's not just today. I notice these little slow downs often.
This world is a crazy, scary and unpredictable place right now. People are senselessly KILLING, showing up in public, unexpected places with high powered weapons and killing. I'm sure those men and women in California yesterday never thought that it would be their last day. My thoughts and prayers have been with them since hearing the news last night. Tragedies like that make me really want to stand up and take notice of all the times God is slowing me down. Because, we just never know, do we?
Did God slow you down today? Maybe this is your slow down. Reading this post all the way to the end...
stop.
Breathe.
Look up.
What is He showing you? Take notice. Talk to Him.
I realize that this is NOT a health and fitness related post, and that is what you have come to expect from me... but I feel that this is something we just take for granted sometimes and that we need the reminder of how precious life is and how fortunate we are to have our feet hit the floor each morning, so that we CAN live a healthy and fit lifestyle... so that we can help each other... offer a hand... a smile.
The next time something unexpected pops into your head, PAY ATTENTION to it. Act on it. Maybe He slows you down to remind you to call your parents, or write a hand written letter, or to stop and open the door for someone. Maybe He slows you down to remind you how blessed you are with the life that you have.
Stop.
Breathe.
Look up.
~Joslin
I don't know what you think they are, but I KNOW that they are nudges... whispers from God.
When you are stuck in traffic, when someone cuts you off, when you take too long to do your hair, or when you get the drawbridge (my husband always seems to get the bridge, no matter what). When you take that extra minute to read a post on Facebook even though you have so much to do in your day. When you pay attention to those.. they are God.. s l o w i n g you down.
I have been stuck in a writer's block recently. Nothing was coming to me naturally and I hate to write when I am 'forced' into it, and I really don't like to write about something that isn't effecting me in any way. So, why am I telling you all of this?
Because, today... the series of events that started my day turned into this post.
Today was just like every other morning in my house. Get up. Get coffee. Open eyes. Wake boys up. Get boys dressed. Go to the store for breakfast (we own a bagel shop & deli). But while there, the power went out - apparently the whole area went out because when I got home later all my clocks were flashing - and that slowed me up a bit (definitely am not cutting any bagels in the dark with those sharp knives! Power came back on about 2 mins later) Then some officers came in for breakfast and said hi and even though it was just a 30 second conversation, that 30 seconds is like an eternity when it comes to grace. I left, dropped the boys off at school. Had I not been held up this morning by the few things that were out of the ordinary, I would not have gotten behind a tractor doing 20 in a 45. Alllllllll the way home. My drive home from the school this morning should have been 5 minutes. It was 12. But there on that one stretch of road.... God whispered "look up". I look up at the sky, nothing crazy, no reds, oranges or golds as the sun was rising. It was kind of cloud covered with just a little blue peeking through. But it was STILL unbelievably beautiful. Like a painting of soft blues, purples and pinks. The sky, it looked fake. Like someone had just taken a brush and made a masterpiece of the sky. I don't know if there was any meaning to it... just a reminder that life is LIFE. I still woke up this morning and showed up for "work" (taking care of my family). I am still breathing. I still have sight. I am still alive.
God slowed me down this morning, maybe, to remind me that even though, personally, life is really stressful right now, that He is still there. That He is the constant. Look up, He said. Talk to me, He said. Put your worries on me, He said.
It's not just today. I notice these little slow downs often.
This world is a crazy, scary and unpredictable place right now. People are senselessly KILLING, showing up in public, unexpected places with high powered weapons and killing. I'm sure those men and women in California yesterday never thought that it would be their last day. My thoughts and prayers have been with them since hearing the news last night. Tragedies like that make me really want to stand up and take notice of all the times God is slowing me down. Because, we just never know, do we?
Did God slow you down today? Maybe this is your slow down. Reading this post all the way to the end...
stop.
Breathe.
Look up.
What is He showing you? Take notice. Talk to Him.
I realize that this is NOT a health and fitness related post, and that is what you have come to expect from me... but I feel that this is something we just take for granted sometimes and that we need the reminder of how precious life is and how fortunate we are to have our feet hit the floor each morning, so that we CAN live a healthy and fit lifestyle... so that we can help each other... offer a hand... a smile.
The next time something unexpected pops into your head, PAY ATTENTION to it. Act on it. Maybe He slows you down to remind you to call your parents, or write a hand written letter, or to stop and open the door for someone. Maybe He slows you down to remind you how blessed you are with the life that you have.
Stop.
Breathe.
Look up.
~Joslin
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