Life in the Slow Lane

Some days I feel like a horse and buggy on the Autobahn.

I want life to just slow down already.  It all seems to be speeding by at a dizzying pace that leaves me spent; emotionally, physically, mentally, and sometimes even spiritually.

Why do we do this to ourselves?  Why do we fill our lives with so much activity to the point that our "down time" does nothing to recharge or refuel us?  We're so exhausted, that in order to adequately recover, we would need more than just a token hour or two snatched here and there.

I didn't grow up this way.  And I'm trying to make sure my kids don't get over-involved either.  It's tricky stuff, to be sure.  Each kid is only allowed one activity at a time.  But with four kids, that alone can be daunting at times. 

Baseball season is underway.  Soccer has begun.  Gymnastics never takes a break. 

Spring, with its promise of warm days and blue skies, used to be a wonderful reprieve from the coldness and quietness of Winter.  Now, it is a signal that life is kicking into high gear for the next four months.  And while I welcome the warmer temps, I also long for the days of quiet.

I like the slow lane.  But I drive like a crazy woman sometimes.  Why?  Because I tend to be late.  I hate being late.  I like the luxury of taking my time.  I like time to get settled.

I like the slow life.  I like homemade cooking, grow-your-own-ingredients cooking.  I like to knit and sew, read and sketch, walk and talk.

However, life right now is busy.  BUSY.  With no signs of slowing down for the next few months.

So, how do I keep up?  How do I keep from being "cranky mommy"?  I slow down myself and take some time to focus on God and His care of me.  I rest, drink plenty of water, rest, say "no", rest. 

I've found I have to be intentional about all of this.  Otherwise, it is incredibly easy to get swept up and swept away by the tide of busyness.

It's part of why I like Lent.  It's an intentional time for me to refocus, regroup, reframe my life.

I like to study the habits and lifestyles of bygone eras.  I always find something fascinating about their way of life.  And I've found that while they may not have had the luxury of technological "advances" we have today, they have other things we are slowly losing.

A sense of community.  Of family.  A rhythm to their days that is dependent on their Creator, and not their smartphones.

That is the life I long for, the life I seek.  Life in the slow lane.