31 Days: Rest in the present

The days are getting longer and the promise of summer is starting to warm the air. People are starting to talk about Christmas – the usual references about how quickly it will arrive and how they’re not ready to think about it yet. There’s so still much ordinary busyness to deal with before starting to think about the crazy busyness that comes with the end of the year.

Unusually, I’ve found myself thinking that I’m ready for Christmas and the summer break. And when I say ready, that doesn’t mean I’m actually prepared. I’d just like to skip ahead to the good stuff, thank you very much.

And I have to resist the temptation to think like that, because then I miss living the moments that are happening right now. If I’m always thinking about and anticipating the future as being so much better than the present then I may fail to discover the wonders that await me right now. And how can I rest if my mind is always racing on ahead.

But if I choose to be present to what is happening right now, in this moment. If I stop and pay attention, I might actually find that rest is waiting for me.
 

Do you find it easy to be present in the moment? Or do you find your thoughts racing on ahead of you? Might there be opportunities for rest that you’d otherwise miss?

This is Day 20 of The Rhythm of Rest series (Write 31 Days challenge).

31 Days: Slowing Down to Rest

Have you ever noticed how worry and hurry seem to be joined at the hip?

When I’m worried that I’m going to be late, I hurry. When I’m worried that I won’t get everything done that needs to be done when it needs to be done, I hurry. When I’m worried that I’m not going to meet the expectations and timeframes of others, I hurry.

When I’m in a hurry I’m only interested in the destination. When I’m in a hurry I’m tight and tense. Everything about me is hurried. I walk faster, I talk faster, my breathing is shallower (if I remember to breathe at all – sometimes I catch myself holding my breath), my movements lose their coordination and I get clumsy. When I’m in a hurry I lose my patience and my tolerance for the slowness of others.

When I’m in a hurry I only notice what I need to get to where I’m going. When I’m in a hurry I become a person I don’t much like.

But when I choose to slow down, when I start to breathe again, I look around and I start to notice the things around me. The things that help me rest.

I notice the morning sunlight illuminating blossom petals in my garden.

I notice how the muscles in my legs move as I walk (a little slower). How the rhythm returns to my stride.

I notice the expressions on the faces of the people I meet.

I notice the floating duck silhouetted against the last blush of twilight on my way home from work.

I notice how the spring air is soft on my skin.

I notice the scent of flowers in the evening.

When I slow down, I hear God whispering and I realise that he’s been speaking to me all along.

In An Unhurried life, Alan Fadling writes, “When I found myself slowing down inside, the Lord seemed to say, ‘Don’t talk trust and live worry.’ … Jesus was inviting me to live with trust in him instead of worry.”

And that’s also the invitation of Jesus to me and to you. To slow down and walk with him, to live with trust in him instead of worry. The invitation to trust him is also an invitation to rest in him, to “learn the unforced rhythms of grace”.

This is Day 3 of The Rhythm of Rest series (Write 31 Days challenge).

Monthly Musings: September

Is it just me or is this year travelling at warp speed? It’s the end of September and here are a few thoughts for the month.

Spring – The blossoms on my ornamental plum tree are long gone, but the crabapple tree is just starting to bud. A few more days and it should be a cloud of pink.

Friends – I’ve been reminded of the pleasure of time spent with friends. This month I helped friends and family celebrate their birthdays, enjoyed dinner and conversation with a close friend, and began to make a new friend over lunch. Good food with good friends – one of my favourite things.

Books – Do you love books? Choosing books? Reading books? Talking about  books? It wasn’t until I read Emily P. Freeman’s latest blog post asking for book recommendations that I realised that I don’t have enough book conversations in my life. Coincidentally the only book I’ve actually finished this month is Emily’s new book Simply Tuesday: small-moment living in a fast-moving world. September has been an inconsistent reading month for me. I’ve added a number of new books to the reading list but they’re all still works in reading progress.

Here are a couple of quotes from Emily’s book that resonated with me as someone who needs time to process things. Maybe they will resonate with you too.

Productivity skills have helped me meet important deadlines and release unnecessary perfectionism.
The problems come when I foolishly try to apply these same skills to my inner life.
The soul and the schedule don’t follow the same rules.

and

Many people are in a season of speed, a time of movement, of action, and go. But that is not where I usually am. And I cannot wait for the world to stop to embrace my permission for slow.
What part of your personality seems to fight against your own perceived ability to succeed? What might happen if your stopped bullying your personality into submission and instead began to welcome it as a kind friend?
So here’s to you, my fellow slow-processors. Take the long way home. Embrace the silence to consider. Give yourself permission to think, to listen, to be sure.

Writing – And as October is waiting in the wings you may remember that last year I joined the Write 31 Days challenge to write on one topic every day in October. This year I’ve decided to take on the challenge again, and I’ve chosen a topic that’s particularly relevant for me at the moment. Check out the first post of the series tomorrow.

 

Monthly Musings: Four things from August

It’s that time again – the end of another month. Before we get all excited about spring, here are some things from August that I want to share with you.

1.  From the reading list

One of the books I’ve been reading during August is Ed Cyzewski’s little e-book, Creating Space: the case for everyday creativity. Here are a couple of quotes that made it into my bullet journal:

You need to invest in your own creativity because it’s the way God designed you to fully live.

and

Tapping into your creativity isn’t about the finished product. It’s about the process – becoming who you were made to be.

2.  A new book from one of my favourite authors, Emily P. Freeman

I’ve been a fan of Emily’s blog and books for a few years now, and in August her latest book, Simply Tuesday: small moment living in a fast-paced world was released. I’m still reading the book, and will probably read it again to really absorb more of the goodness from Emily’s writing. There may be more to come on this is a future post. In the meantime check out Emily’s free video series to see what she’s talking about. And here is Emily’s podcast interview with Jeff Goins.

3.  Yummy food

This month I made pizza from scratch – dough, sauce and toppings – tomato, basil and bocconcini is simple and delicious. And then there’s Bracegirdles’ salted caramel dark hot chocolate – mmmmmmmm.

4.  An old-new way to slow down, de-stress and get creative

Did you know that adult colouring books are very popular at the moment? I hadn’t really noticed until I saw a display of them in an airport bookshop recently. I bought one and have been enjoying a little colouring each evening. Fun and relaxing, it’s a creative way to unwind.