UnRush Me

“Unrush me….” Going into the weekend this is a good concept to have. After all, the weekends are supposed to be time for relaxation and more time with friends and/or family. Time for ourselves, that’s unrushed and quality time.

Instead, I feel it’s been just the opposite, and has been for some time. I saw on Instagram the other morning a post that said “Praying Lord Unrush Me. This is the great first step to getting back that joyful, less frantic version of me.”

It really resonated with me. It’s like I have been (and probably most of us Americans), living in fast forward. We have mini races going on in almost all areas of our lives. We want instant gratification, and slowing down is something we struggle with on a daily basis.

We look for quick, easy meals, just so we can have a rushed eating of our dinner so we can get to this appointment, or our kids many activities. What happened to sitting down with our spouse and enjoying each other’s company and conversation? Really wanting to hear how their day was?

We rush through workouts, trying to get it all in, not even enjoying the sights and sounds around us or the feelings in our bodies. While this might not be every workout, it has been the majority of my workouts lately.

It’s a race to get married, to have kids, to buy that new house, to be the first one to discover this recipe or this new workout, this sale at Target. There’s so many areas in our society, where rushing is inevitable it seems.

We have been rushing relationships. I can think of many times Marc and I have gone out on dates, and I feel rushed. Why? Simply because I make it this way. I want to accomplish this, go here, eat at this place, but make it to this place before it closes. We jam pack our date days even. I rush through conversation so I can go to bed, or finish my homework, my blog post, the baby’s room.

I am in a constant state of rushing. Rushing conversations with family and friends. Looking at my watch frequently throughout the day. Rushing here, rushing there.  More importantly I am rushing my relationship with Christ. Rushed, short prayers and time in my Word. While you might argue that it’s better than nothing, it’s really not. Why? Because when rushing through it, it’s not genuine and I am not truly present.

It’s just another activity to check off, so I can move to the next “task.” It’s a sad reality.

I hate the feeling of always feeling rushed. Like I am in a race, but in reality I have created this reality and environment. We all do.

I am not saying we shouldn’t have days where we have to rush, but to be rushing what’s important all the time, really does create problems. We lose joy and we become a frantic person. In a sense, rushing steals the joy from life.

The saying “Stop and smell the roses” really does hold a special meaning, and is something we should be doing more of. Stopping and acknowledging our children’s achievements, our spouse after work, our own achievements. Spending quality time without noticing the clock or caring if the walk through the park is taking a couple of hours.

I am going to stop rushing through life. I need to enjoy all my free time before baby girl arrives, and really need to enjoy all the time I have with her as she grows, because they grow quickly. Some days shouldn’t be rushed, and frankly I am tired of rushing.

So I am praying “Lord unrush me.” I want more joy in my life.

Until Next Time Be Whole, Be Fit & Be Unrushed

What areas of your life have you been rushing? Thoughts?