A Wandering Thought
TIME is not something that happens to us, rather it is a tool used by Jesus to prune us. Time isn’t passive, it has an omnipotence like nature. Therefore, we must meticulously consider, how we will use this priceless resource. The Bible teaches of the importance of a mindful awareness of oneself, one’s actions and reactions, and of one’s neighbor. This is to live life responsibly. America, however, requires that life moves faster than the speed of light. They never warn us that this can only be done with a cognizance like that of a newborn. No thinking, no consideration, no yielding is done because there is no time for it. Everything must be done in or at an incredible pace. College students know this robotic burden intimately. Those who overslept for an appointment have experienced this thoughtless rush. What about that meal that took hours to cook, only to be devoured, in one breath, like a brute? How many relationships have come to a Shakespearian end because of impatience? Our society has made this toxic way of life a normality, and we all, with deep regret, can attest to these experiences.
America, however, requires that life moves faster than the speed of light.
Psychologically, I unconsciously deceive myself to believe that my growth must flow with this pace. Yet, unthinking, inanimate nature reveals an axiom of life— growth is slow. Didn’t the tortoise beat the hare? The Oak doesn’t rush to seep its roots into the ground. The migrating sea creatures don’t out swim the ocean’s current; they ride it. The baby germinates limb by limb in the mother’s womb for months. An OG once told me, “If it’s fast, it won’t last.” The things that become valuable to us in life are things that we cherish, those nouns which we spend hours upon hours with. Our society teaches us those things we are anxious will submit to us, as we have the technology and power to manipulate our way to them. The only fruit that could come from such behavior is greed, envy, and discontentment. Howard Thurman, the great mystic, warns, sometimes it takes a lifetime to determine whether a single act was a mistake or not. Then, with this hurried mindset, decisions are made that we regret, and they can sometimes be ruinous to the vitality of our life. Surely, God can and will turn all outcomes towards the good of those who love Him (Romans 8), the stress of our maturation can be avoided if we stroll in life at a leisurely pace, while we are watchful of our hearts, considerate of others, and aware of YHWH.
“Trust in the LORD, with all your heart. Lean not upon your own understand. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path.”
